The apparent triumph of democracy attributed to the revival of civil society in Eastern Europe and neo-liberal energies at the end of the 20th century has yielded to grimmer assessments for democracy and capitalism in the 21st century in the wake of economic crisis, the rise of populist authoritarianism, climate disaster, and war. East-West geopolitical tensions and North-South inequalities challenge Europe and America. This lecture will review the historical record and argue that the fashionable slogans of governance and civil society need to be rebalanced by a renewed agenda for state/EU political institutions.