Secretary Hillary Clinton: "Autocracy is on the march"

Secretary Hillary Clinton delivered an opening remarks at The World Forum 2025 in Berlin, on the global threat of autocracy, disinformation, and technological manipulation. “There’s no way to sugarcoat it,” she said. “Autocracy is on the march—and we now have a U.S. government that has thrown in its lot with the autocrats.”

Clinton highlighted the danger of algorithm-driven disinformation that addicts and divides societies. “Algorithms addict us and poison us with hatred and fear,” she warned. Quoting fellow Forum speakers Maria Ressa, Natalia Gavrilița, and David Sinclair, she emphasized the need for renewed civic education and the revival of civic virtue to protect freedom and self-governance.

"Democracy must deliver, but delivery alone is insufficient. We need citizens who understand democracy is worth defending,” she said. Clinton called for critical thinking, tech regulation, and a global defense of truth.

“Democracy is not merely a service provider, it is a moral achievement,” she stated, pointing to the courage of Ukrainians and Moldovans as a reminder of what is at stake. “Moments like this are too few,” she added, urging that action must continue beyond the Forum.

“We must act now,” Clinton insisted, “before AI and digital platforms become tools of autocracy. We need citizens who understand, care, and fight for democracy—not just because it works, but because it is right.”