Why do oligarchs thrive in democracies? Jeffrey Winters, Vladimíra Dvořáková and Ondřej Lánský on the politics of protecting wealth

More people than ever can vote, organise, and make their voices heard. Yet wealth is becoming increasingly concentrated in the hands of a tiny minority. How can democracy and extreme inequality coexist? American political scientist Jeffrey A. Winters argues that oligarchs are not primarily interested in governing. Their main objective is to protect and preserve their wealth — and this defence of wealth increasingly shapes the limits of democratic politics. Together with political scientist Vladimíra Dvořáková and political scientist and philosopher Ondřej Lánský, Winters discusses how economic power is converted into political influence, why oligarchs are becoming more visible, and what this means for democratic institutions, public media, taxation and the future of political equality. The discussion was recorded at last year's Inspiration Forum at the Ji.hlava International Documentary Film Festival and is moderated by Klára Votavová. The voices of Ondřej Lánský, Vladimíra Dvořáková, and Klára Votavová are AI-generated.