Both the global sustainability movement and democracy movements everywhere are making too little progress or experience backsliding. Consequently, in both movements signs of anxiety and stress are visible. Problem analysis in both movements, however, mainly remains within their respective paradigms, keeping combined development pathways out of sight. Meanwhile the polycrisis is deepening and becoming existential to mankind.
The objective of this contribution is to explore an option for breaking this gridlock and for unification of sustainability and democracy. We argue that sustainability needs radical innovation of the political system, and that politics needs the urgency of sustainability to reunite society.