What's the point with that quite lackluster story in Endwalker?

[Lauront]

That's great and all but we are talking about a fictional fantasy world, not real life. Even then under the so called "democracies" upward mobility and true freedom is impossible seeing as how the population of FFXIV's world is in a medieval state where literacy and access to higher education is extremely scarce. In any case, the Garlean monarchy still represented the best interests of Garlemald despite the underlying motives and under Solus they knew the most competent government they ever had, with the crowning achievement of previous regimes being the forced retreat all the way into a frozen wasteland.

A benevolent dictatorship (see: Larsa, Ashe, Garnet, etc) would be more beneficial for them and make for a more interesting world than the continued preaching of real world values into the game's world. Do you really think that the senate members just magically turned good after the fall of the empire? They probably still harbor nationalistic motives and other values you disagree with. Evil works best in packs, not as individuals. However, put the power in the hands of someone who leans more benevolent and things just might actually improve. However it's not like we'll see the senate members or the mythical Larsa anyway. Too hard to write, give new Taco Bell scene in 6.2 instead plz

I agree with this, particularly in a fantasy context, I'd rather see a plurality of regimes, and I've little attachment to the notion of all of them being turned into democracies. Granted, with Garlemald it would be a reversion to being a republic, rather than an entirely new direction, but with that said, I'd hoped they'd take Garlemald in the Archades direction in terms of its government.