Democracy, as understood by international human rights law, is a pluralist one. Freedom of association is essential for any pluralist democracy. There is, however, an inherent tension between liberal human rights cosmopolitanism and democratic self-determination of a given group. While external voices must be heard in a liberal democracy, there are good reasons to control the impact of financial power. During the last twenty years, many States have enacted laws that go far beyond what would be acceptable in a pluralist democracy, thus shrinking the space for civil society. This development reveals a fundamental scepticism towards liberalism and pluralism, which form the very basis of international human rights law. At the same time, the growing aversion against foreign influence reflects a dwindling transnational consent on which values should be promoted.