Democracy
News
The Limits of Electoral Autocracy: Lessons from Orbán’s Fall
After 16 years in power, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz was defeated within the very electoral system it had engineered to entrench its rule. Hungary’s 2026 election shows that electoral autocracies can be more vulnerable than they appear. They can be defeated when democratic opposition forces adapt strategically, coordinate across sectors, and are ready and able to capitalize on moments of declining regime legitimacy.
30.04.2026
News
All At Once – Coping with Positive Shock in Hungary
Bucking wider trends once again, Hungarian voters ousted a seemingly entrenched quasi-party state on Sunday. The resounding defeat of the first proudly illiberal regime within the enlarged West forces us to revise entrenched wisdoms about the System of National Cooperation and its leader. The unhoped-for supermajority for Tisza also shows the country’s political culture and historical trajectory in a new light. Ferenc Laczó reflects on the meaning of the Hungarian elections.
14.04.2026
News
Watershed Elections in Hungary? – What’s at Stake?
For the past 16 years, Hungary has increasingly come to be seen as the epitome of swift and steady democratic decline ending in a clear path toward autocratization. However, the ruling Fidesz party anticipates the 2026 general elections with a challenger that looks more credible and more popular than the ones it defeated during the past four elections, which opens the possibility for democratic recovery. Still, questions abound regarding the peaceful transition of power, the legal possibilities for rebuilding the rule of law and restoring media freedom, the reintegration of the country into the EU, as well as the malleability of popular attitudes that made the 16-year rule of Fidesz possible in the first place.
9.04.2026
Podcasts
Gen-Z: An Emerging Political Force? – A Discussion with Răzvan Petri and Vlad Adamescu
In our new podcast, Vlad Adamescu and Răzvan Petri discuss the new wave of youth engagement in Romanian politics. Starting from their own Politică la Minut (Instant Politics) initiative that aims to increase political participation among young Romanians, they analyze how the current political situation in Romania has moved away from the divide between post-communist and anticommunist factions and is now similar to the landscape in other European states, where the conflict occurs between liberal and conservative forces.
8.04.2026
Podcasts
Why Would Elected Leaders Hollow Out Their States?
In this episode of our podcast series produced in collaboration with the Journal of Democracy, Ferenc Laczó speaks with Andrés Mejía Acosta and Javier Pérez Sandoval about their new article, “Why Populists Hollow Out Their States.” They discuss how, why, and when elected leaders seek to undermine the state; what libertarians and leftists share when it comes to practices of state erosion and where they might differ.
6.04.2026
News
The Populist Paradox: Economic Pain, Enduring Power
Populism is no longer a fringe phenomenon. Across Western democracies, from Donald Trump in the US to Viktor Orbán in Hungary and now even in Austria, populist leaders are gaining traction and wielding considerable power. What are the economic and social consequences of this political shift?
24.03.2026
Podcasts
Democracy on a Tightrope: Politics, Bureaucracy, and the Risks of Imbalance
In this episode of the Review of Democracy podcast, Gabriel Pereira speaks with Gabriela Lotta about Democracy on a Tightrope: Politics and Bureaucracy in Brazil, co-authored with Pedro Abramovay and recently published by Central European University Press.
23.03.2026
News
From the People vs. the Elite to Everyone as the Enemy: The Strange Afterlife of Donald Trump’s Populism
Donald Trump’s second presidential term exposes how the structural logic of populism breaks down under its own expansion. As adversaries proliferate and the claim to embody a unified “people” weakens, antagonism survives but representation frays. What once relied on a clear, if contestable, moral divide now operates through thinning legitimacy and the staging of permanent confrontation.
27.02.2026
News
Fidesz on the Defensive: Sixteen Years of Dominance Under Threat
Hungary's April 2026 parliamentary election presents the first serious challenge to Viktor Orbán's sixteen-year rule. Péter Magyar's Tisza party, built on technocratic populism and a clean break from the discredited old opposition, leads Fidesz by roughly ten points among committed voters. This analysis examines the roots of Fidesz's vulnerability, the dynamics of a campaign dominated by economic grievances and a series of scandals, and the scenarios that could yet determine the outcome.
4.02.2026
News
Why Democratic Strategy Must Rethink Authoritarianism Today
While observations of developments on the global scale always conceal a great amount of nuances, trends can nevertheless be discerned. One such significant trend in contemporary global society is the retreat of democracy: the world in general is more authoritarian than it was a decade or two ago.
3.02.2026
Podcasts
Heimat Revisited: Jeremy DeWaal on Place, Belonging and Post-war Politics in West Germany
What does it mean to feel “at home” in a place, and why does that matter for democracy? In this episode, historian Jeremy DeWaal talks about Heimat, a German word that is famously hard to translate. It is often rendered as “home” or “homeland”, but it also points to a deeper sense of belonging, memory and emotional attachment to specific places.
22.01.2026
Podcasts
End of the Year Podcast 2025 – Part I: Reflections and Reckonings
As 2025 draws to a close, RevDem editors Alexandra Kardos (History of Ideas), Gabriel Pereira (Cross-Regional Dialogue), and Kristóf Szombati (Political Economy and Inequalities) take stock of a turbulent democratic year through three keywords: imagination, frustration, and realignment.
22.12.2025
News
An Authoritarian Turn in Contemporary Germany? – In Conversation with Robin Celikates
The threat of the far-right dominates politics in Germany today. The ascendance of the AfD marks the first time since the end of World War II that such a force has attracted a considerable share of the German electorate. This regularly leads politicians from centrist parties to emphasize the importance of preventing German history from repeating itself. However, these same actors have simultaneously brought far-right policies into the mainstream and adopted practices that resemble the playbook of autocrats. Such practices have been particularly visible in the repression of pro-Palestinian voices over the last two years. In recent articles, Prof. Robin Celikates has argued that these developments indicate an authoritarian turn in contemporary Germany.
11.12.2025
Podcasts
Social Media, AI-Chatbots and the Death of the Evening News: How to Restore Trust in a Fragmented Media World – A Conversation with Raluca Radu
In a conversation for the Review of Democracy, Raluca Radu explains how social platforms like TikTok, WhatsApp groups, and AI-driven chatbots reconfigure the trust towards information. As Raluca Radu clearly emphasizes, COVID-19 marked a shift in media consumption. During the pandemic, the main source of information became the short-form video content on platforms such as TikTok. Some newsrooms recognized that their audiences migrated elsewhere and rushed to follow. They tried to adapt to this changing landscape by establishing social media presence. By now, social media is not only an additional channel of dissemination but, in some cases, the only way to reach citizens who do not read traditional websites or watch TV. Thus, social media and algorithms redefine the public sphere worldwide.
8.12.2025
Podcasts
How to Resist Illiberalism: Pedro Abramovay on Reimagining Democracy in Latin America
In this podcast, Pedro Abramovay offers a wide-ranging analysis of the rise of illiberal forces in Latin America and the democratic vulnerabilities they exploit.
4.12.2025
News
Playing Constitutional Hardball in Spain
Spain’s political struggles reveal how democratic erosion increasingly unfolds through boundary-pushing legal tactics rather than overt authoritarian ruptures. These dynamics illuminate a broader pattern in which the letter of the law is upheld while its spirit is strategically hollowed out.
3.12.2025
Podcasts
Exiles and Diasporas in the Crosshairs of Authoritarian States – Nate Schenkkan on the Rise of Transnational Repression and What Can Be Done to Counter It
In this discussion with Nate Schenkkan, an independent authority on human rights and global authoritarianism and former senior director of research at Freedom House, we examine the growing issue of transnational repression—a practice wherein states pursue individuals and groups beyond their own borders whom they regard as threats to those in power.
1.12.2025
Podcasts
An Authoritarian Turn in Contemporary Germany? – In Conversation with Robin Celikates
In Part 1 of this podcast, Prof. Celikates examines the German government’s repression of pro-Palestinian protests and voices, discusses Germany’s broader protest culture, and reflects on the notion of Staatsräson.
26.11.2025
News
Chile Chooses Between Extremes: Rightward Drift in a Reconfigured Party System
Chile’s presidential runoff pits a Communist former labour minister against a hard-right former congressman, signalling both a sharp rightward turn and the eclipse of the old political elites. The social outburst of 2019 and compulsory voting are opening up opportunities for outsider candidates while reshaping who is viable on left and right, pushing Chile’s party system towards more radical alternatives.
24.11.2025
Book Reviews
Is Education Always a Form of Dominance?
The state’s intervention in education is rarely an innocent enterprise. Some approaches have an optimistic undertone: they favor the provision of mass education as a policy tool to improve the skills of the population. The reasons that led to the development of primary education, in this regard, are democratization, industrialization and military rivalry. Other intellectuals are more suspicious about the altruistic premise of mass education.
21.11.2025
News
The Weakness of the Authoritarian Playbook
Across the world, strongmen follow the same playbook to dismantle democracy. But their favorite tool could also become their greatest weakness if democracy’s defenders learn to flip the script.
18.11.2025
Podcasts
Delivering Democracies: Maya Tudor on “What Democracy Does…And Does Not Do?”
In this conversation, Maya Tudor discusses her recent article published in the Journal of Democracy and argues that today’s decline in trust in democracy stems from misconceptions about its achievements, such as expanding education, extending life expectancy, promoting relative peace, and fostering economic progress.
14.11.2025
News
Democratic Entropy and Transactional Rule: The Political Output of Peruvian Informality
Peru’s democracy is eroding not through aspiring autocrats but through exhaustion. Beneath the turmoil lies a subtler form of decay: entrenched informality hollowing out authority and turning governance into a marketplace of deals rather than a system of rules.
13.11.2025
News
Mayor Mamdani: An Inspirational Leader Facing Relentless Political Attacks
While the global rise of the far right often seems unstoppable, on November 4, 2025, a politician who describes himself as a democratic socialist won New York City’s mayoral election. In his op-ed, Prof. Neil H. Buchanan argues that Zohran Mamdani is a political phenomenon who will nevertheless face relentless efforts from across the political spectrum to bring him down.
6.11.2025
Podcasts
Will AI Crack the Foundations of Democracy? Dean Jackson and Samuel Woolley on Longer-term Threats and Ways to Counter Them
In this episode of our special series produced in partnership with the Journal of Democracy, we explore “AI’s Real Dangers for Democracy,” the new article penned by Dean Jackson and Samuel Woolley (Journal of Democracy, Vol. 36, No. 4, October 2025)
3.11.2025
Podcasts
EU Research Spotlight: Zsolt Boda on Moral Emotions in Politics and Democracy
In the opening episode of Review of Democracy’s new podcast series on EU-funded research, Alexandra Kardos speaks with Professor Zsolt Boda, Director of the ELTE Centre for Social Sciences, about the MORES Moral Emotions in Politics project, a Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action exploring how emotions shape democratic life.
30.10.2025
News
Cameroon’s 2025 Presidential Election: Confronting an Electoral System Designed to Defeat Democracy
Cameroon’s Constitutional Council has announced that it will declare the winner of the recent presidential election on October 27. As Cameroonians await the official results, some hope that President Paul Biya’s rule may come to an end. In her op-ed, Laura-Stella Enonchong explains why Cameroonian voters face an electoral system designed to undermine the democratic will of the people.
24.10.2025
Podcasts
The Authoritarian Resurgence in World Politics – In Conversation with Alexander Dukalskis and Alexander Cooley
The end of the last century brought about what scholars have called a “unipolar moment.” With the fall of the Soviet Union, liberalism lost its enemy on the global stage, which led the United States to try to establish an international liberal order by promoting liberalism transnationally. This latter approach has not only been harshly criticized for often being executed hypocritically and sometimes causing disastrous wars, but also ultimately seems to have failed.
22.10.2025
News
Russia’s Multipolar Bargain: Flexibility Without Foundations
Moscow offers cheaper access to energy, finance, and payment rails, but not the investment and rules that make a real order.
21.10.2025
Videos
Crisis and Renewal: Rethinking Democracy in the 21st Century
Marking its fifth anniversary, the CEU Democracy Institute (DI) hosted the international roundtable “Crisis and Renewal: Rethinking Democracy in the 21st Century”, organized in partnership with the Review of Democracy.
21.10.2025
Podcasts
Negotiating Sexuality in Socialist Poland: In Conversation with Anna Dobrowolska
Anna Dobrowolska’s new book Polish Sexual Revolutions. Negotiating Sexuality and Modernity behind the Iron Curtain, published at the Oxford University Press this year, reveals fresh perspectives in the scholarship about the socialist states. In our podcast, she explains how Poland and Eastern Europe developed their own distinct approaches to sexual modernity under state socialism. While Western observers assumed sexual liberation was incompatible with communist rule, Poland was quietly developing its own sophisticated approach to sexual modernity. In her book, Anna Dobrowolska aimed to map these differences and nuances. Throughout the conversation, we learn that the conventional narrative of state oppression versus societal resistance proves to be inadequate when examining Poland’s sexual revolution. Dobrowolska’s archival research reveals a complex ecosystem of actors: sexologists, journalists, cultural institutions, who negotiated sexual discourse largely independent of [...]
20.10.2025
Podcasts
Contentious Politics and Democratic Resilience
In this episode, we sit down with Professor Mohammad Ali Kadivar to explore the urgent and timely question of popular protests amid global democratic backsliding. Drawing from his acclaimed monograph, Popular Politics and the Path to Durable Democracy, Kadivar poses the following questions: What role does dissent play in sustaining democracies? Do protests reinforce or undermine democratic institutions?
13.10.2025
News
What Does Moldova’s 2025 Election Say about its Democracy?
Roughly a week ago, on September 28, Moldovan citizens at home and across the globe went to voting polls to decide which political parties would represent their interests in the next four-year parliamentary cycle. The turnout exceeded the threshold for validity, making the vote to be declared valid and the election results being officially accepted at home and internationally. After the votes were counted, the results got warm international praise, especially from representatives of the European political establishment, for Moldovans choosing the path of European integration and transparency. In reality, however, joining the European family of states might be a more thorny path than the electoral promises highlighted.
7.10.2025
News
The Battle for the Past: Populism and Memory Politics in Contemporary India
Since 2014, the BJP has used its institutional influence to reinterpret history through a Hindutva lens, portraying India as an exclusive Hindu civilization. This effort goes beyond scholarship, reshaping how history is taught, remembered, and practiced, with narratives of Hindu pride framed as native resistance against foreign Muslim oppression and the BJP as custodian of this indigenous legacy. Supporters see these revisions as correcting omissions by earlier historians who, they argue, downplayed Hindu victories or overlooked figures like Maharana Pratap. For them, heroic retellings reclaim dignity and offer empowerment in a time of economic insecurity and social fragmentation.
26.09.2025
Podcasts
Capitalism’s Democracy: Competition and Resilience in Twenty-First Century
In our latest episode of the special series produced in partnership with the Journal of Democracy, we discuss the recent article co-authored by Steven Levitsky, Semuhi Sinanoglu, and Lucan Way, entitled “Can Capitalism Save Democracy?”
11.09.2025
Podcasts
The Illiberal Trap: Stanley Bill and Ben Stanley on Trilemmas and Warnings from Poland
In this new episode of our special series produced in partnership with the Journal of Democracy, Stanley Bill and Ben Stanley draw on their new article “Democracy After Illiberalism: A Warning from Poland” (July 2025, Vol. 26, No. 3) to discuss the challenges, dilemmas, and paradoxes of liberalism after illiberalism in Poland. They reflect on the concepts of liberalism and illiberalism to dissect the approach Donald Tusk’s current government has taken and its major consquences. They also consider the wider lessons that may be drawn from recent and ongoing Polish experiences.
1.09.2025
Podcasts
From Competitive Authoritarian to Hegemonic: Berk Esen on the Decline of Turkish Democracy and the Prospects for Its Revival (Part 2)
In Part 2 of our latest episode in the special series produced in partnership with the Journal of Democracy, Berk Esen turns to the other side of the equation: how Turkey’s opposition is pushing back against an increasingly hegemonic regime. This episode builds on Part 1, where we explored the regime’s authoritarian escalation through the courts, media, and economic coercion.
25.08.2025
Podcasts
The Aftermath of Poland’s Presidential Election – In Conversation with Maciej Kisilowski (Part 1)
In Part 1 of this podcast, Maciej Kisilowski examines the results of Poland’s presidential election as well as its implications for Poland’s political dynamics over the next few years. In particular, he addresses the issue of whether Polish liberals and progressives are capable of correctly identifying the prevailing sentiments in a deeply divided society.
6.08.2025
Podcasts
The Paradox of Dynastic Democracy: Richard Javad Heydarian on Current Developments in the Philippines, Sharpening Global Competition, and the Prospects of a Liberal-Progressive Breakthrough
In this new episode of our monthly special created in partnership with the Journal of Democracy, Richard Javad Heydarian discusses the Philippines’ dynastic democracy and political prospects in a truly global framework.
4.08.2025
Podcasts
The Rise of Legislative Authoritarianism –In Conversation with Paolo Sosa-Villagarcia and Moisés Arce
In the latest episode of our special series produced in collaboration with the Journal of Democracy, Paolo Sosa-Villagarcia and Moisés Arce discuss the rise of legislative authoritarianism, compare it with more traditional forms of authoritarian rule, and explore its implications both in theory and in practice.
7.07.2025
Podcasts
Mapping Crisis Across Borders: Balázs Trencsényi on the Interwar Period, Intellectual History, and the Future of Democracy
In our new podcast, we speak with historian Balázs Trencsényi about his new book Intellectuals and the Crisis of Politics in the Interwar Period and Beyond: A Transnational History (OUP, 2025). Trencsényi offers a sweeping re-narration of modern European intellectual history through the lens of “crisis” — not only as an analytical category, but as a powerful tool of political mobilisation.
3.07.2025
News
Chile’s Left at a Crossroads: What Sunday’s Primary Reveals About the Country’s Democratic Drift
As Chile’s left prepares to choose its presidential candidate in a low-profile primary this Sunday, the stakes are higher than they seem. The vote offers a revealing snapshot of an opposition grappling with internal fragmentation, an emboldened right, and a disoriented electorate. Can the left reinvent itself before the 2025 elections?
27.06.2025
News
The Post-2024 Italy: Figaro Qui, Figaro Qua…
Italy, long a master of diplomatic balancing, is reclaiming its traditional role as a geopolitical hinge between Europe and the wider world. Under Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Rome blends nationalist rhetoric with pragmatic alliances by playing Brussels and Washington with equal calculation. As ever, Italy pursues influence through flexibility, not fixed loyalties. By Julia Khrebtan-Hörhager Meloni’s diplomatic balancing act: Strategic chameleonism Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s relatively recent visit to former U.S. President Donald Trump spotlights Italy’s tightrope walk between European solidarity and a revived transatlantic flirtation. Controversial and calculating, Meloni continues to toy with America’s favor. She was the only European leader to attend Trump’s inauguration in January and counts tech titan Elon Musk among her allies. In many ways, Meloni reflects Europe’s own identity crisis: regional power, global ambition. Italy, after all, was a founding [...]
18.06.2025
Podcasts
Can Courts Save Democracy? In Conversation with Samuel Moyn
Samuel Moyn discusses the risks of focusing too heavily on legality in the fight against rising authoritarianism. Since the beginning of the year, the Trump administration has been trampling on different sectors of the U.S. state. Numerous commentators, both from the U.S. and abroad, have argued that the issue of a potential “constitutional crisis”—one that could pave the way for authoritarianism—essentially hinges on whether the government complies with court orders. In contrast, Professors Ryan Doerfler and Samuel Moyn have argued that this focus is, at the very least, misplaced. So far, rather than protecting democracy, the courts have helped pave the way for the current situation. This raises important questions about the right pro-democratic strategy—not only in the U.S., but also in European countries such as Germany, where the far-right is on the rise and the judiciary is widely seen as the bulwark against authoritarianism. In this conversation, Samuel Moyn explains the [...]
16.06.2025
News
In Uncertain Waters: The Restoration of the Rule of Law in Poland
The outcome of Poland’s presidential election has the potential to significantly harm the process of rule of law restoration in the country. In her op-ed Anna Wójcik examines the current situation and explores what the future strategy of the pro-democratic governing coalition must entail.
11.06.2025
Podcasts
Can Democracy Deliver? Francis Fukuyama and Beatriz Magaloni on Performance, Legitimacy, and Public Trust
In the latest episode of our monthly special in cooperation with the Journal of Democracy, Francis Fukuyama and Beatriz Magaloni discuss why democratic legitimacy increasingly hinges on governments’ ability to deliver tangible results.
5.06.2025
News
The Politicization of Anti-Feminism in Latin America
The growing visibility of anti-feminism in Latin America is not an isolated trend but a deliberate political strategy. In this op-ed, Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser examines how far-right actors harness anti-feminist rhetoric to mobilize voters, resist the expansion of rights, and contest the very meaning of democracy.
4.06.2025
News
Pride Hungary: Orbán’s Culture War Escalates Ahead of 2026 Election
June is designated as Pride Month in many countries, but Orbán’s Hungary has essentially banned Pride events, masking democratic backsliding behind culture wars. Damien Le-Hoste unpacks the political theatre fueling authoritarian tactics ahead of a crucial 2026 election.
3.06.2025
Podcasts
David vs. Goliath: Defeating Russian Autocracy
In the new episode of our monthly special in cooperation with the Journal of Democracy, Serhii Plokhii discusses the key aspects of Russia’s war in Ukraine, the clash between democracy and autocracy.
2.06.2025
News
Mexico’s Judicial Reform: Democracy by Ballot or Power by Design?
Mexico is preparing for an unprecedented judicial election. But far from empowering citizens or improving justice, this reform may erode the very foundations of democratic rule. Ana Micaela Alterio explores how a process framed as democratization could entrench power, undermine judicial independence, and usher in a new phase of autocratic legalism.
30.05.2025
News
The Aspasia Project: Protecting and Repairing the Infrastructure of the Public Debate
Public debate is deteriorating due to polarization and disinformation, despite unprecedented information access. The weakening, fragmentation, and discrediting of the "public knowledge infrastructure" (education, research, press) are to blame for this situation. The article proposes rebuilding this infrastructure by uniting professionals, involving citizens, and securing resources to protect democracy's foundation.
27.05.2025
Podcasts
The Unequal Republic and the Egalitarian State: Democracy, Authoritarianism, and the Politics of Redistribution in India and China
In this conversation with Professor Vamsi Vakulabharanam, we explore the relationship between democracy and economic inequality by examining the divergent trajectories of China and India, as detailed in his recently published book, Class and Inequality in China and India, 1950-2010 (Oxford University Press, 2024). Through a comparative lens, Vamsi probes how political regimes—one authoritarian, the other democratic—shaped the economic responses to inequality in each country. While both nations began their postcolonial histories with ambitious visions of development, their political systems produced markedly different outcomes. In India, democratic governance allowed for broad participation but was also shaped by elite consensus. Post-independence reforms, though grounded in democratic ideals, often took a top-down form that prioritized the interests of rural capitalists and dominant castes. This constrained the potential for deep structural transformation, despite the formal [...]
19.05.2025
News
Tactical Dilemmas of Democratic Front-Sliding: Early Lessons from Poland
Today, one-and-a-half years after the right-wing populist government with authoritarian ambitions left office, Poland is a real-time lab for democratic front-sliding. Different tactics deliver mixed results. The presidential election will certainly be consequential for this process. However, some early conclusions from more and less radical approaches to restoring democracy and the rule of law in the country have already emerged and provide useful hands-on evidence for the future.
16.05.2025
News
The Significance of War Crimes Trials after 1945: A View from East Asia
The Second World War had a transformative effect on the development of international law. It continues to shape its practice and evolution. While the Nuremberg trials are often acknowledged as a watershed moment, however, scholars sometimes neglected the extent to which the post-war trials in East Asia shaped the development of international law and the process of decolonization. By breaking away from a ‘Eurocentric’ focus on the largest conflict of the twentieth century, we can see more clearly the enduring global legacies of the war.
14.05.2025
News
Constitutional Death Foretold? The Romanian Elections Saga in a Nutshell
Romania has been facing a political crisis marked by controversial court rulings, annulled elections, and the rise of far-right figures. Judicial overreach, social fragmentation, and foreign influence fueled public distrust, culminating in ultranationalist George Simion’s victory in the 2025 restaged presidential elections.
13.05.2025
Podcasts
The Untold Story of Schengen: A Conversation with Isaac Stanley-Becker
In this episode of the RevDem podcast, investigative journalist and historian Isaac Stanley-Becker discusses his revealing new book, Europe Without Borders: A History (Princeton University Press). Drawing on newly accessible archives and in-depth interviews, Stanley-Becker sheds light on the little-known origins of the Schengen Agreement—long celebrated as a cornerstone of European integration and free movement. Yet, as this conversation uncovers, the story behind Schengen is far more complex.
12.05.2025
News
The Depoliticization of 1945
For much of the second half of the twentieth century, the Second World War and its aftermath were interlaced with western Europe’s present. The war was understood to have birthed the world that emerged in its wake. This is no longer so. Our present has been uncoupled from its twentieth-century past. The Second World War has consequently lost its explanatory function for making sense of contemporary socio-political realities.
8.05.2025
News
The Chipping Away of Argentine Democracy
It has been almost a year and a half since Javier Milei took office in Argentina. As he openly warned he would do during his campaign, his administration has been plagued by authoritarian practices, verbal and institutional violence, and policies that openly curtail citizens’ rights. Argentina currently possesses significant democratic capital, earned by decades of struggles and political commitment. We must now ask how long this capital will last in resisting the libertarian wave.
6.05.2025
Podcasts
Authoritarian Waves Crashing: Dan Slater Reinterprets the Third Wave of Democratization
In the new episode of our monthly special in cooperation with the Journal of Democracy, Dan Slater discusses the authoritarian origins of the third wave of democratization.
5.05.2025
News
Unfinished Revolutions: Decolonization and Democracy in a Globalizing World
The title of Martin Thomas’s The End of the Empire and the World Remade: A Global History of Decolonization signals the ambitious and unconventional nature of his now widely acclaimed project. From the outset, Thomas frames decolonization not simply as a linear dismantling of empires, but as a complex and often contradictory process—one that simultaneously disintegrated old hierarchies and gave rise to new, and sometimes equally exclusionary, national orders. His emphasis on decolonization as a reintegrative force highlights how the collapse of imperial structures often yielded unstable, improvised formations of authority and belonging.
2.05.2025
News
Voting for Togo’s Personalist Dictatorship
In February, Togo became the first of 10 African states to hold (indirect) executive elections in 2025. February 5 also marked the 20th anniversary of the coup that brought Faure Gnassingbé to power. This article assesses the legacy of the 2005 coup and the failure of Togo’s democratization.
1.05.2025
News
Judicial Reforms in Italy: A Risk for the Rule of Law?
With the ongoing judicial reforms, the Italian Government’s conflict with the judiciary has reached a new phase. In her op-ed, Benedetta Lobina examines the proposed changes and assesses their impact on the rule of law in Italy.
30.04.2025
News
‘Techno-Schmittianism’ in the North? The Canadian Federal Elections
On 28 April the Canadian Liberal party led by Mark Carney won the Canadian federal elections. The incumbent governing party has not won a majority of seats at the time of writing, with 155 ‘ridings’ (constituencies) secured compared to the Conservatives’ 133. The victory sealed a four-month turnaround in fortunes for the Liberals, following the resignation of former Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on 6 January.
29.04.2025
Podcasts
Hydro-hegemony: Water Modernization in Nepal and Beyond
In this wide-ranging conversation on hydrology and climate change, Dr. Dipak Gyawali, former Minister of Water Resources for Nepal, offers a series of crucial insights into the often indifferent, selectively inadequate, and politically compromised responses to the climate crisis. Arguing for a more sophisticated, multipronged approach, Dr. Gyawali critiques dominant Western scientific paradigms for failing to recognize the climate crisis primarily as a crisis of water. He highlights how these frameworks not only marginalize water-related concerns but also frequently dismiss indigenous hydrological knowledge systems as unscientific or primitive, thereby reinforcing global hierarchies of knowledge and power.
28.04.2025
Book Reviews
Theoretical Pluralism Meets Western Myopia: The Age of “Global” Populism
The re-election of Donald Trump in 2024 provides a clear answer to the question raised in Still the Age of Populism? Not only does the age of populism persist, but its influence on global politics appears stronger than ever. From Washington to Warsaw and Brasília to Budapest, populist leaders continue to reshape political landscapes. This edited volume takes up the challenge of understanding populism’s enduring appeal, bringing together an impressive array of scholars to advance our understanding of this complex phenomenon.
25.04.2025
News
All Together or None of Us – Part II: Turkey’s New Democracy Movement and Future
When Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, was arrested, Turkey’s democratic future reached a breaking point. In this two-part series, Murat Somer examines how that moment united the long-divided social and political opposition, sparking an unprecedented wave of mobilization and strategic innovation that holds the potential to turn into an enduring and consequential democracy movement. Part I recounts the events that triggered mass resistance. Part II explores the movement’s evolving strategies, emerging alliances, and political stakes for Turkey’s future. ← Missed the backstory? Read Part I: The Arrest that Sparked Turkey’s Democratic Uprising
24.04.2025
News
All Together or None of Us – Part I: The Arrest that Sparked Turkey’s Democratic Uprising
When Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, was arrested, Turkey’s democratic future reached a breaking point. In this two-part series, Murat Somer examines how that moment united the long-divided social and political opposition, sparking an unprecedented wave of mobilization and strategic innovation that holds the potential to turn into an enduring and consequential democracy movement. Part I recounts the events that triggered mass resistance. Part II explores the movement’s evolving strategies, emerging alliances, and political stakes for Turkey’s future.
23.04.2025
Podcasts
Valeurs de l’Union – In Conversation with Luke Dimitrios Spieker
Since the seminal 2018 Portuguese Judges case, it has been established that violations of values enshrined in Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) can be litigated before the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU). Currently, proceedings are ongoing in the European Commission’s infringement action against Hungary, the argument being that its anti-LGBTQI+ laws breach provisions of the internal market, several Charter rights, and, importantly, the common values enshrined in Article 2 TEU. The case, known as Valeurs de l’Union, has been hailed as the “largest human rights battle in EU history.” In this RevDem Rule of Law podcast episode, our co-managing editor, Dr. Oliver Garner, discusses the enforcement of the Union’s values at the Member State level as well as at the Union’s institutional level with Dr. Luke Dimitrios Spieker. Dr. Spieker is Senior Research Fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Comparative Public Law and International Law and Postdoctoral [...]
22.04.2025
Book Reviews
Neofascism and the Far Right in Brazil
The resurgence of far-right ideologies across the globe has forced democracies to reckon with the continued appeal of authoritarian political cultures. In this context, Brazil has emerged as a crucial case for understanding the entrenchment of radical right-wing ideologies beyond the global north. Odilon Caldeira Neto’s “Neofascism and the Far Right in Brazil” intervenes in this debate by historicizing and contextualizing the evolution of Brazilian neofascism, tracing its roots, ruptures, and resurgence. Odilon Caldeira Neto is a historian at the Federal University of Juiz de Fora (Brazil), where he is a leading scholar on understanding the Brazilian far right. His authority in fascist studies, especially in the Latin American context, makes his analysis valuable for those interested in understanding current political developments in the region in general and Brazil in particular
17.04.2025
Podcasts
Illiberal Transatlantic Ties and the Reshaping of Democracy: Lessons From the US and Hungary
In this episode of the Democracy After 2024 series, Zsuzsanna Végh and Daniel Hegedűs examine transatlantic cooperation between state and non-state actors in the United States and Hungary. They analyze commonalities in narratives and shared practices, assessing their impact on democracy in Central and Eastern Europe and beyond. Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this episode are solely those of the speakers and do not necessarily reflect the positions of the German Marshall Fund of the United States or any institutions or organizations with which they are affiliated. Zsuzsanna Végh is a program officer at the German Marshall Fund of the United States and an associate researcher at the European Council on Foreign Relations. Her analytical focus is on the populist radical right in Central and Eastern Europe, its impact on foreign policy and democratic quality, and the foreign and EU policies of the Visegrád countries. Daniel Hegedüs is a German Marshall Fund of the [...]
16.04.2025
Book Reviews
America’s Discontent with Democracy: What means patriotism in the 21st century?
There was a time when America's brightest minds worked hand in hand with the government to create world-changing technologies. DARPA and other agencies helped build the internet, GPS technology, search engines, and self-driving cars—the very foundation of Silicon Valley’s dominance. These innovations fueled economic prosperity and solidified the United States’ global standing.
11.04.2025
News
Trapped in the Cycle? – Giorgos Venizelos on the Year of Elections and Politics of (Anti-) Populism
Populism is often framed as a challenge to democracy. But what about anti-populism? Does opposing populism protect democratic institutions, or does it risk pushing politics toward elitism and exclusion, eroding social cohesion and deepening polarization? With the latest global developments, including Donald Trump’s resurgence in the United States and the growing influence of Alternative für Deutschland in Germany, these questions have never felt more urgent.
10.04.2025
Podcasts
Historical Archives of the European Union – a Space of Knowledge Production
Archives are vital for knowledge formation. Historians and social scientists rely on these spaces to shape new narratives and question the past. Yet, archives often seem to be unveiled in a sort of mystery, which might be partly due to the access restrictions for the specialists and broader public alike. However, not all the archives follow this restrictive approach. On the contrary, many institutions started to favour openness and transparency. Rather than limiting access for the researchers and the larger public, they encourage interactions on different levels.
9.04.2025
News
The Attack on the Constitution
The President’s defiance of judicial authority has pushed the US into a constitutional crisis. In his op-ed, Nicholas Reed Langen unpacks how his deportation orders, legal battles, and Supreme Court victories have emboldened an authoritarian agenda, testing the limits of US democracy.
3.04.2025
News
Understanding State Behavior and Regime Unpopularity through the “Tripartite Struggle” Framework
The interplay of global hegemony, majoritarian discourse, and ruling narratives shapes state behavior and regime popularity. Consolidated democracies manage ideological diversity better, enabling non-violent regime changes, while unconsolidated systems like India and Bangladesh risk authoritarianism or populism. Governments’ failure to balance competing interests often results in unpopularity, dissent, and potential regime instability.
1.04.2025
Podcasts
How the European Council Leads – In Conversation with Martina Vass
The European Council brings together all of the heads and states of government of the European Union in order to drive policy. In the last decade the EU has faced crises of the economy, membership, values, and migration. This conversation between our co-managing editor Oliver Garner and Dr Martina Vass considers these issues through the lens of the latter's monograph.
31.03.2025
Interviews
A Fragile Constitution? – In Conversation with Dieter Grimm
On March 25, 2025, the “new” German Bundestag began its work. While the government will likely consist of the familiar coalition of Social and Christian Democrats, it may face unprecedented challenges. In the new composition of the German parliament, the center parties no longer hold the two-thirds majority required to amend the German constitution—the Grundgesetz. After, in the “old” Bundestag, a parliamentary motion was adopted for the first time since the fall of the Nazi regime, only due to the support of the far right; some commentators have gone so far as to declare the end of the German political center. Shortly thereafter, the far right achieved record polling numbers in the federal elections. These circumstances raise the question of whether the German legal system is resilient enough to withstand periods of political instability. While the German Constitution is widely regarded as a success, some argue that it has primarily functioned as a “Schönwetter-Verfassung”—a [...]
27.03.2025
News
The European Media Freedom Act: The Solution to Capture or Just Fine Print?
As the EU pushes new media freedom standards, the threat of media capture is persistent across Europe. In this op-ed, Oliver Money-Kyrle analyzes the threat, examining how governments manipulate media through control of public service media and regulatory bodies, ownership structures, and state advertising, and what measures are needed to safeguard editorial independence.
26.03.2025
News
The Dismantling of US Statistical and Data Infrastructures by the Trump Administration
The Trump administration’s swift and systematic dismantling of statistical and data infrastructures has largely gone unnoticed. From erasing health and education data to cutting research funding, these actions threaten evidence-based policymaking, mirroring tactics used in autocratic regimes to obscure transparency and suppress inconvenient truths.
25.03.2025
Podcasts
Political Capacity: Gianna Englert on the Liberal Struggle for Democracy
Is democracy sustainable without informed, virtuous, and engaged citizens? Can political institutions shape the kind of citizenry democracy needs? These questions lie at the heart of Democracy Tamed: French Liberalism and the Politics of Suffrage, the compelling new book by political theorist Gianna Englert, who joins us in this episode of RevDem. As contemporary anxieties grow over the future of liberal democracy and the rise of populism, Englert turns our attention to 19th-century France, where liberal thinkers grappled with similar dilemmas in the wake of the French Revolution.
24.03.2025
News
Quo Vadis, Deutschland? – Political Realignment
For decades, post-war German politics has rested on a shared commitment to keeping extremist parties at the margins. The principle of the cordon sanitaire — a firewall between democratic and anti-democratic forces — was more than a procedural rule; it became a moral and institutional cornerstone of liberal democracy in Germany. But what happens when this line begins to blur? We asked our contributors: How likely is the cordon sanitaire to collapse in the next parliament? And what unconventional forms of cooperation or tactical maneuvering might emerge across the political spectrum in the upcoming legislative cycle?
21.03.2025
Podcasts
Lost Souls: Soviet Displaced Persons and the Cold War Struggle
What happens when war leaves millions stranded, stateless, and unwanted? In this episode of the Review of Democracy podcast, host Imogen Bayley discusses with renowned historian Sheila Fitzpatrick her latest book, Lost Souls: Soviet Displaced Persons and the Birth of the Cold War. Drawing from newly uncovered archival research, Fitzpatrick explores the lives of Soviet displaced persons—those who found themselves outside the USSR at the end of World War II and refused to return, despite intense Soviet pressure.
20.03.2025
News
Quo Vadis, Deutschland? – The Future of the Green Agenda
This mini-series brings together leading scholars working in and on Germany to offer their insights into the key questions arising from this pivotal moment of transition. Through a multi-angled, interdisciplinary discussion, it examines the political, economic, and social forces driving change and shaping the country’s and the broader region’s future. In this third edition, our contributors examine the pressures weighing on Germany’s ecological transformation.
18.03.2025
Podcasts
Foreign Hands, Local Democracy: Toxic Legacies of Cold War in India
In this conversation with Paul McGarr, we discuss his latest book, Spying in South Asia (Cambridge, 2024). From the influence of espionage on international relations to the role of conspiracy and rumor in shaping domestic politics, McGarr highlights the complexities of intelligence dynamics between the West and India. He reveals how during the Cold War, democratic aspirations in the Global South were often dismissed by American and British intelligence and foreign policy establishments. Challenging the widely held belief that the Western powers championed democracy in the region, McGarr argues that Cold War geostrategic priorities frequently undermined democratic movements in South Asia. Yet, despite these external pressures, local actors and political institutions in India played a crucial role in shaping intelligence outcomes, resisting imposed narratives, and asserting their own democratic agency.
17.03.2025
News
Quo Vadis, Deutschland? – The Future of Multiculturalism
This mini-series brings together leading scholars working in and on Germany to offer their insights into the key questions arising from this pivotal moment of transition. Through a multi-angled, interdisciplinary discussion, it examines the political, economic, and social forces driving change and shaping the country’s and the broader region’s future. In this second edition, our contributors examine the shifting dynamics of integration and diversity in Germany.
14.03.2025
Interviews
A Watchdog for European Democracies – In Conversation with Darian Pavli
Established in 1959 in the aftermath of World War II, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) was designed from the outset as “a backstop against authoritarian regression.” For a long time, democracy was an emerging system, with more and more European countries ratifying the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) as they transitioned to democratic governance. However, since the global peak of democracy in the mid-2000s, democratic backsliding has become an ongoing trend across the European continent. Some states that ratified the ECHR have transitioned into fully-fledged authoritarian regimes or hybrid states, while others are showing early signs of heading down a similar path. By waging war against Ukraine, Russia pushed this to such an extent that it was ultimately excluded from the Council of Europe.
13.03.2025
Podcasts
Liberal Democratic Standards Are Not Just an Opinion – Karolina Wigura on Polish Politics, Liberal Emotions, and Her Major Concerns
In the latest episode of our Democracy After 2024 series, Karolina Wigura discusses Poland’s current role in Europe and the changing polarization between liberal and illiberal forces; analyzes the role of emotions in contemporary liberal politics; reflects on how we distinguish between agendas of accountability, on the one hand, and of retribution and revenge, on the other; and explains what she will watch particularly closely in the coming months.
12.03.2025
News
Quo Vadis, Deutschland? – The Future of the Socio-Economic Model
Germany’s latest parliamentary elections mark more than just a change in government — they signal a potential turning point for the country’s economy, multicultural identity, and political landscape. As the European Union’s largest and most influential member grapples with mounting domestic and global pressures, the decisions made in the coming years will not only define Germany’s trajectory but also reverberate across Europe and beyond.
11.03.2025
Podcasts
An Open Marketplace for Members of Parliament in European countries? In Conversation with Emiljana Krali
In the latest RevDem podcast our co-managing editor Dr Oliver Garner discusses processes for becoming an MP today in Europe with Dr Emiljana Krali.Dr Krali is a generalist Equity Research Analyst who has experience in telecommunications, fintech, software, and hardware among other fields. She holds degrees from the University of Bari in physics and from the University of Surrey in nanotechnology. Her Ph.D. was obtained from Imperial College London.She is currently undertaking the selection process to become a candidate for the governing Socialist Party in Albania.
10.03.2025
Podcasts
Texts, Contexts, and Feminist Voices in East-Central Europe
In this episode, we explore the newly published book Texts and Contexts from the History of Feminism and Women’s Rights in East-Central Europe, Second Half of the Twentieth Century (CEU Press, 2024) edited by Zsófia Lóránd, Adela Hîncu, Jovana Mihajlović Trbovc, and Katarzyna Stańczak-Wiślicz. Our conversation with the editors delves into the book's aim of highlighting the often-overlooked contributions of East Central European women to global feminist thought and activism. We discuss the selection process of a diverse range of texts and artworks that challenge the dominant political and intellectual canons, focusing on the importance of including works that don't necessarily self-identify as feminist but engage with themes of systemic oppression. The discussion also touches on how socialism and the post-socialist transitions shaped feminist movements in the region, notable figures and texts from the volume, encountered controversies during the process of editing as well as the [...]
7.03.2025
Podcasts
The Right against Rights in Latin America
In this conversation with the Review of Democracy, Professor Leigh Payne, Dr. Julia Zulver, and Dr. Simon Escoffier discuss the development of right-against-rights movements that have grown in numbers, strength, and influence in recent years in Latin America. The discussion draws on their latest book, “The Right against Rights in Latin America,” published by Oxford University Press, in which they show that new anti-rights groups are intent on blocking, rolling back, and reversing social movements' legislative advances by obstructing justice and accountability processes and influencing politicians across the region.
5.03.2025
News
Strengthening Democracy Amidst Political Polarization
This article aims to provide some insights into the current political geography in South Korea focusing on the development of right extremism and its impact.
4.03.2025
Podcasts
Why Is the World Down on Democracy? – Richard Wike Discusses Current Global Attitudes and the Rising Dissatisfaction with the Way Democracies Work
In this conversation, Richard Wike – director of global attitudes research at Pew Research Center – presents the key facts of the growing dissatisfaction with the way democracy works; discusses which parts of society support which kinds of change in the direction of more representativity; explores how people view the impact of social media on democracy; and reflects on how democracies of the future might look different from past versions and how they could empower citizens more.
3.03.2025
News
What Can Illiberal Disruptions Tell Us About a More Democratic Future?
With the shocking beginnings of Donald Trump’s second term, many suspect we may be nearing a tipping point in the global history of democracy. Numerous democracies have indeed been eroding, and the process appears to be accelerating these days. However, despite continuous setbacks over the past two decades, only a few formerly democratic regimes have openly embraced autocratic rule until now.
27.02.2025
News
German Election Brings Some Relief but Huge Challenges Lie Ahead
After the dust settled on election day and the sun rose over the Hauptstadt one thing became abundantly clear: the outcome could have been far worse. The terror attacks in Solingen, Mannheim, Magdeburg, Aschaffenburg and Munich made asylum and immigration the top electoral issue, forcing the two governing left-wing parties (the SPD and Greens) to play defense, and compelling conservative leader Friedrich Merz to launch a law-and-order offensive focused on the securitization of borders. While the maneuver prevented the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) – which had been calling for similar measures since 2015 – from taking ownership of the issue, it also led Merz’s Christian Democrats (CDU) to pass a non-binding parliamentary resolution together with the far-right.
25.02.2025
Videos
Book of the Month: Essays on Democracy at War
The first session of the new Book of the Month series by the CEU Review of Books and the Review of Democracy presented the essay collection Invisible University for Ukraine: Essays on Democracy at War, edited by Ostap Sereda, Balázs Trencsényi, Tetiana Zemliakova, and Guillaume Lancereau, published by Cornell University Press in 2024. The session was co-hosted by Visible Ukraine. The Invisible University for Ukraine (IUFU) is an initiative of Central European University, and is implemented in cooperation with the CEU Democracy Institute and Ukrainian and EU-based university partners. It was launched in the spring of 2022 and by now, it involved nearly 1000 Ukrainian students who have taken online and on-site courses. The program aims to help sustain intellectual growth despite the ongoing war and provide a framework to push back against autocracy. It was recognized by the McCourtney Institute for Democracy at Penn State University with the 2024 Laurence and Lynne Brown Democracy [...]
20.02.2025
Interviews
An Existential Threat? – In Conversation with Christoph Flügge
The role of international courts presents distinct and complex challenges compared to other judicial areas. Since the enforcement of judgments relies on the willingness of states to cooperate, international criminal law has primarily been applied against weaker states on the global stage. An international court seeking to act against representatives of strong – western – countries in the international sphere faces a difficult dilemma. On one hand, the law must apply equally to everyone. A court that fails to uphold this principle risks losing its legitimacy. On the other hand, a court that alienates powerful states risks rendering its judgments ineffective or even jeopardizing its own existence. This is illustrated by the events following the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) issuance of arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders. Numerous Western politicians harshly criticized the ICC’s efforts to hold representatives of their ally, Israel, accountable for [...]
18.02.2025
Podcasts
How to Battle Abusive Governments? – Kenneth Roth on the Strategies and Impact of Human Rights Watch
In this podcast, Kenneth Roth – who is about to publish Righting Wrongs. Three Decades on the Front Lines Battling Abusive Governments – explains what has made the strategies of Human Rights Watch distinct in the world of human rights-related advocacy and activism, and discusses cases where they managed to have a real impact; considers how the extension of the catalogue of human rights over time has shaped their interests and profile; reflects on HRW’s relationship with different types of governments; and explains how HRW has related to the question of humanitarian intervention and drawn on international humanitarian law across the decades.
17.02.2025
Book Reviews
Disinformation in Africa: A Distinct Landscape Compared to Global Trends?
Digital Disinformation in Africa is a book about how disinformation through digital tools is playing an increasing role on the African continent in distorting elections, inflaming internal conflicts and disrupting crucial policy debates across the continent on issues such as vaccination, gender and reproductive rights. This book is part of the Digital Africa series, which studies the effects of new technologies on the African continent. On one hand, these technologies have certainly facilitated the exercise of democratic rights and freedoms; on the other hand, they have been used by repressive regimes to restrict those rights.
14.02.2025
Podcasts
How To Counter the Mainstreaming of Extremist Ideas? – Julia Ebner on Radicalization Processes and Our Fraught Moment
In the latest episode of our Democracy After 2024 series, Julia Ebner discusses major developments regarding the mainstreaming of extremist ideas; explains how social media platforms have contributed to radicalization processes and considers whether we might be experiencing a new turning point right now; and sketches effective counterstrategies – and reflects on what might be missing from our current toolbox.
13.02.2025
Videos
Rule of Law at a Crossroads: The Walesa Case as a Catalyst for Rebuilding Judicial Independence?
The CEU Democracy Institute Rule of Law Clinic, the Review of Democracy (RevDem), and the Bingham Centre for the Rule of Law (BIICL) held a webinar on November 27, 2024, on the state of rebuilding judicial independence in Poland, using the landmark Walesa v. Poland case as a starting point. In this ruling, the European Court of Human Rights (ECtHR) applied its pilot judgment procedure, giving the Polish government a one-year deadline (November 24, 2024) to meet essential rule of law standards. Just days after this deadline, the event assessed Poland’s progress and explored practical solutions for restoring trust in its judiciary. The remaining challenges include reforming the judicial appointment process, determining the status of ‘neo-judges’, and addressing issues with the independence of the Constitutional Tribunal. The discussion also took a broader European perspective, highlighting the role of the European Union, the Venice Commission’s recent Opinions on Poland, and [...]
11.02.2025
Podcasts
Exporting Medical Expertise During the Cold War: Medical Humanitarianism, Ideological Expansion or Pragmatism? A Conversation With Bogdan Iacob
The medical aid programs established by socialist states nuance the Cold War dichotomy regarding the transfer of knowledge. The latest RevDem Democracy and Culture podcast with Bogdan Cristian Iacob explores the legacy of socialist regimes in the transnational circulation of expert knowledge during the Cold War, with a particular focus on medical aid.
10.02.2025
News
Changing Perspectives on the Problems of Democracy, 1970 to 2020: An Organizational Approach
In his essay, our Editor-in-Chief and Director of the CEU Democracy Institute, László Bruszt argues that the organizational perspective on democracy might offer a solid framework for exploring the links among different perspectives on the problems of democracy. The organizational approach views democracy as an institutional mechanism for forming broad alliances that drive social, economic, and political change. It shapes power relations and fosters cooperation but also enables exclusion, which can fuel polarization, populism, and illiberalism, ultimately destabilizing democratic institutions.
6.02.2025
Podcasts
Ukraine Under Martial Law – Transformations of Domestic Policies and Civil Society
In this episode, a part of the Democracy After 2024 series, Oleksandra Kokhan is joined by Taras Fedirko and Serhiy Kudelia to discuss the transformations of domestic policies in Ukraine following the 2022 invasion and under martial law, the (im)possibility of holding elections, and the role of civil society today.
5.02.2025
Podcasts
Shouldn’t Ukraine Negotiate with Putin? – Robert Person on Obstacles to a Negotiated Ending of Russia’s Ongoing War of Aggression
In the newest episode of our monthly special in cooperation with the Journal of Democracy, Robert Person discusses key issues that pose nearly insurmountable obstacles to a negotiated ending of Russia’s war against Ukraine; dissects the Putin regime’s main aims regarding Ukraine over the past twenty years; and reflects on why arguments in favor of a ‘peace deal’ have gained in popularity – and what European supporters of Ukraine should be preparing for.
3.02.2025
Podcasts
The Significance and Trajectory of Ukrainian Democracy Since 2022
In this episode of the Democracy After 2024 series, Ukrainian journalist and editor Arina Kravchenko hosts Ukrainian poet, prose writer, and essayist Mykola Riabchuk. They discuss the significance of democracy to Ukrainian national identity and the country’s social fabric. The conversation focuses especially on Ukrainian democracy’s trajectory since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 as viewed from within Ukrainian society and as a rediscovered object of interest from the outside. Mykola Riabchuk is the president of the Ukrainian PEN-center and a senior research fellow at the Institute of Political and Nationalities’ Studies, the Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. His most recent publications include At the Fence of Metternich’s Garden. Essays on Europe, Ukraine, and Europeanization (Stuttgart, 2021) and Nationalist’s Lexicon (in Ukrainian), a collection of essays published in 2022. Arina Kravchenko is a Ukrainian journalist, editor, and book reviewer. Artwork: [...]
31.01.2025
Podcasts
This Land We Call Home: A History of “Criminal Tribes” in Modern India – An Interview With Nusrat F. Jafri
In this interview with Nusrat F. Jafri, we explore her much-acclaimed biographical fiction, This Land We Call Home. Drawing on her personal family history and extensive ethnographic research across northern and western India, Jafri raises a profound question for all democracies: How can democratic systems address historical prejudices and work toward creating a truly inclusive society?
29.01.2025
Podcasts
European Values and Democratic Links – In Conversation with Miriam Schuler
In the last decade the Court of Justice of the EU has rapidly developed its case-law on the enforcement of EU values. Following multiple cases in which the Court enforced provisions that instrumentalize the Rule of Law in actions involving the ‘backsliding’ Member States of Poland and Hungary, the question now arises as to whether EU action may be justified to protect the co-foundational value of democracy during national elections in the EU’s Member States. The upcoming elections in the Federal Republic of Germany in February will bring these issues into sharp relief. In the latest RevDem Rule of Law podcast, Oliver Garner discusses these themes with Miriam Schuler (King’s College London), whose PhD research analyzes the protection of values within the European Union. The Current State of Play While Article 2 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU) outlines a broad set of foundational values, Schuler argues that, over the past decade, EU actions have [...]
28.01.2025
News
The Tusk Doctrine: How Does Poland Want to Lead Europe?
Poland is taking on the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union at a time when it is emerging as a crucial player in European politics. With a focus on defense, Ukraine, and balancing green policies with economic competitiveness, Poland’s leadership marks a pivotal moment for Europe’s future.
27.01.2025
News
Reimagining European Prosperity – A Conversation with Marija Bartl on the Role of Legal Imaginaries in Shaping European Political Economy
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Marija Bartl – author of Reimagining Prosperity: Toward a New Imaginary of Law and Political Economy in the EU – warns that the post-2008 crisis of neoliberalism created an ideological vacuum that would either be filled by a new vision of shared prosperity or by tribal imaginaries. She explains why the EU, despite its neoliberal origins, might be uniquely placed to articulate such a new vision of prosperity, and argues that European law is already being transformed to support it.
24.01.2025
Podcasts
Who Is Going to Represent European Interests in the Future? – Zsuzsanna Szelényi on the Transformation of the EU and Our New Era of Uncertainty
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Zsuzsanna Szelényi discusses key questions in contemporary politics with a focus on European affairs. She explores the main priorities of Ursula von der Leyen’s second Commission and what might change as compared to her previous term. She also discusses the main challenges the EU faces when it comes to transatlantic relations and how Trump’s second term could impact the unfolding and outcome of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine – and whether the position and role of Hungary’s Orbán regime might change in international politics.
20.01.2025
Podcasts
When Should the Majority Rule? – Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt on Countermajoritarian Institutions and the Question of Democratic Resilience
In this conversation, Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt examine the various types of countermajoritarian institutions and reflect on which are democracy-enhancing and which can potentially subvert democracy. Levitsky and Ziblatt show the connections between the strong countermajoritarian features of the U.S. political system and its ongoing democratic backsliding. They also consider how the trade-offs between countermajoritarianism and democratic stability have played out across the globe.
17.01.2025
News
Five Books on the Rule of Law and Democracy from 2024 for 2025
The 21st century has already provided a quarter-century of tumult for democracy. The last year of these first 25 years has been no exception. Both the world’s largest and its most prominent democracy returned ‘strongmen’ leaders. By contrast in Central-Eastern Europe an anti-populist coalition toppled a traditionalist government. As War rages in Western Eurasia and the Northern Middle-East, signifying the collapse of deliberative ordering of human affairs, natural disasters push societies to their breaking point, regardless of the level of their development. The Rule of Law seeks to impose order upon such tumult, as democracy seeks to provide humans with the means to decide upon their own destiny. Here are five books on this phenomenon that have been covered by and informed the RevDem Rule of Law section in 2024.
16.01.2025
News
Five Ideas Books in 2024
Here come five recommendations from RevDem Ideas of books we covered in 2024 and which we think deserve to be widely read and discussed.
14.01.2025
News
Five Books on Populism in 2024
Here are five book recommendations on populism published in 2024, which I believe merit widespread attention and discussion.
9.01.2025
News
Five Publications on Political Economy Themes in 2024
Here come our five recommendations on political economy themes from 2024 that address and grapple in novel and highly suggestive ways with the most urgent questions of our time: How to save democracy from the grip of oligarchy? How to accelerate the ecological transition without destroying sustainable ways of living, and how can we overcome neocolonial geopolitical relations?
8.01.2025
News
Five Books on European Themes in 2024
Here come our five book recommendations on European themes from 2024 that dissect conceptions of democracy, consider original ways to protect it, analyze European integration and disintegration – and show the dark prehistory of the former.
7.01.2025
News
The Mystic Candidate – Călin Georgescu’s Blend of Orthodox Faith, Mysticism, and Power
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Ionuț Biliuță discusses the connections between Orthodoxy and nationalism in Romania and to what extent they have influenced this year’s presidential elections; the revival of narratives concerning ‘fascist martyrs’ by Călin Georgescu and other radicals; the impact the 2018 Constitutional referendum on same-sex marriage had on radicalization; the ideas in transnational circulation that have inspired Georgescu's statements, including Alexander Dugin’s and those of Donald Trump’s Evangelical supporters; and the steps that the Romanian Orthodox Church could take to dissociate itself from far right discourses.
9.12.2024
Videos
Democracy in Global Political Thought and Theory
The roundtable brought together scholars from varied backgrounds to share insights and challenge assumptions about democracy, helping to shape a broader, more inclusive understanding of its history, role and forms worldwide. It explored the diverse historical and contemporary contexts of democracy across the globe, emphasizing perspectives from regions such as Latin America, China, India, and the Muslim world. The conversation challenges traditional assumptions and fostered a broader understanding of democracy’s many forms and roles in global intellectual history. Participants Michaelle Browers (Wake Forest University): Expert in Arab and Islamic political thought, feminist theory, and democratic theory, with a focus on transcultural possibilities. Dongxian Jiang (Fordham University): Political theorist and intellectual historian specializing in Chinese and Asian political thought, comparative political theory, and intercultural dialogue. Nora Lafi (Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner [...]
6.12.2024
News
Red Flags and Writings on the Wall? Rising Threats to Democracy on Both Sides of the Atlantic
Donald Trump has been re-elected in the United States, and Germany is preparing for snap elections in February 2025. Both countries are likely to face political changes as they are witnessing the rise of anti-establishment movements. How resilient is democracy in Germany and the United States? Should we worry?
3.12.2024
News
The Return of Dictatorship – Grzegorz Ekiert and Noah Dasanaike on Dictatorial Drift, Autocracy Promotion and Strategies to Oppose Them
In this conversation, Grzegorz Ekiert and Noah Dasanaike explain their concept of dictatorial drift and how various countries have moved toward full autocracy in recent years; discuss new features of dictatorships in the early 21st century and how such regimes relate to each other; consider whether it makes sense to compare the growing trend of autocracy promotion with democracy promotion; and reflect on how full autocracies might be opposed more effectively in the future.
2.12.2024
News
Against Presentism: Post-National Constitutionalism as a Critical-Emancipatory Project
The book Postnational Constitutionalism: Europe and the Time of Law is a novelty for those who eagerly look for creative approaches to the quandary of constitutionalism beyond the State. According to Paul Linden-Retek, post-national constitutionalism is a critical-emancipatory project, consisting of a re-imagination of identity and self-authorship over time. For this to happen, constitutional open-endedness is necessary, particularly in the case of the European Union (EU).
29.11.2024
News
Decentering Democracy: Developing Global Perspectives in Political Thought and Theory
This op-ed explores the study of democracy in global political thought and theory, arguing for a need to rethink entrenched frameworks and better understand diverse ways of political thinking. It examines high-level key challenges in terminology, methodology, translations, and collaboration, arguing for the need for interdisciplinary approaches and structural changes in academia to promote diverse perspectives on democracy.
28.11.2024
News
Revising European Integration History in an Age of Uncertainty – Karin van Leeuwen, Aleksandra Komornicka, and Koen van Zon on Their Interdisciplinary Handbook with a Historical Focus
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Karin van Leeuwen, Aleksandra Komornicka, and Koen van Zon – contributors to The Unfinished History of European Integration that has now appeared in a revised edition – elucidate the main questions that organize their overview of European integration history; reflect on the applicability and usefulness of various influential theories when trying to narrate the history of European integration today; show what special contributions historians can make to the interdisciplinary study of the European Union; and discuss recent advances in the historiography of European integration, specifying questions that would deserve more attention in the future.
27.11.2024
Videos
Understanding Elections in Sri Lanka
How has the political landscape in Sri Lanka changed in recent years? What is the significance of the 2024 elections for Sri Lanka? What are some of the interpretations of the elections for democracy in the wider region of South Asia and the Global South? This panel of eminent scholars analyzed the different facets of the 2024 Elections, including possible opportunities and challenges for democracy in the region. It was hosted by the Review of Democracy (RevDem), the online journal of the CEU Democracy Institute (CEU DI), in collaboration with the Social Scientists’ Association in Sri Lanka. Panelists: Moderator:
25.11.2024
Podcasts
On Muslim Democracy: Essays and Dialogues
Join Review of Democracy Ideas Editor Alexandra Medzibrodszky as she hosts Professor Andrew March, a leading scholar of political philosophy and Islamic thought, to discuss On Muslim Democracy: Essays and Dialogues. The book focuses on Rached Ghannouchi’s political thought and offers a unique perspective on the intersection of Islamic principles and modern democratic governance.
25.11.2024
News
How Does Planting Trees Strengthen the Roots of Democracy – Or Does It?
At first it may seem that planting trees serves the environment regardless of party or political affiliation, but this procedure has not been an innocent act of nature conservation for a long time. As a striking example, Boehi (2015, p.71) humorously cites Margaret Thatcher’s case who participated in a 10-minute tree-planting procedure between a 50-minute TV-interview and an 80-minute lunch in Canberra, Australia. In the case of trees planted by politicians, suddenly everything becomes symbolic: who plants with whom, when, where, what species, and how. It is not even a coincidence what happens to the tree years later. Virtual tree plantings that can never be fulfilled, which are increasingly common today, are usually just promises of an ongoing political campaign.
22.11.2024
News
The Independence of the European Courts at Risk? – In Conversation with Marek Safjan
The attempt to transform a democracy into an authoritarian state often begins with the elimination of independent jurisdiction. Constitutional courts, in particular, are targeted - either to incapacitate them or even to turn them into enablers of governmental politics. This has been observed in Poland and Hungary. In Poland, after the PiS party was voted out of office, efforts are now underway to restore the independence of the constitutional court and to ensure better protection in the future. Meanwhile, in Germany, there are discussions about strengthening the resilience of the Federal Constitutional Court. This written interview considers the state of judicial independence in the EU today from a post-judicial career retrospective. Professor Marek Safjan was Poland’s appointee at the Court of Justice of the European Union from 2009 to 2024 and President of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal from 1998 to 2006.
20.11.2024
Podcasts
Coalitional History of Democracy During Emergency (1975-77) in India – In Conversation with Kristin Plys
In this conversation with Kristin M. Plys, we delve deeply into the nature and quality of Indian democracy by examining the legacy and impact of its resistance movements. Plys’ recent book, Brewing Resistance (Cambridge University Press, 2020), studies the Indian Coffee House movement—a unique, worker-driven cooperative that flourished in the 1970s. This movement not only symbolized a shared space for political discourse but also became a hub for anti-authoritarian sentiment, especially during the turbulent years of the Emergency (1975-77), when democratic freedoms were severely curtailed by Prime Minister Indira Gandhi's government.
19.11.2024
Tyranny of the Minority – How Institutional Shortcomings Threaten American Democracy
Molly Shewan reviews Daniel Ziblatt and Steven Levitsky’s Tyranny of the Minority: How to Reverse an Authoritarian Turn and Forge a Democracy for All (New York: Crown Publishing Group, 2023), 316 pgs. This review was written in advance of the 2024 US presidential election; its analysis and conclusions reflect this context.
14.11.2024
The Recipe Trump Will Hopefully Not Read Attentively – Measuring the US’ Political Prospects by the ‘Gold Standard’ of De-Democratization
Given all the grave concerns regarding the future of democratic norms and institutions in the US, Hungary’s transformation under Viktor Orbán’s rule offers the kind of warning that observers would ignore at their own peril. Considering the key ingredients on Orbán’s recipe of de-democratization can also help us develop a sense of proportions and nuance about what is likely to unfold under Donald Trump’s upcoming second term.
13.11.2024
Podcasts
Authoritarian Regimes Learn from Each Other – In Conversation with Mikal Hem
In our new podcast, Mikal Hem discusses what modern dictators and autocrats seem to have learned from their predecessors, reflects on what might drive voters toward leaders with autocratic tendencies, considers what democratic societies can learn from the survival strategies of dictators, and contemplates how the resilience of free media could be strengthened in autocracies.
12.11.2024
Podcasts
The Great Gender Divergence – In Conversation with Alice Evans
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Alice Evans discusses the great gender divergence and how we might explain that some countries are much more gender equal than others; considers whether the history of gender is essentially about female emancipation in modern times but also whether even the most gender equal countries in the world today remain rather patriarchal; and reflects on the special challenges of writing an interdisciplinary book that analyzes the history of gender on a truly global scale – and how such a project relates to the idea of a gender binary.
11.11.2024
Insurgent Utopia: A Means for Transformation
As universities face increasing neoliberal pressures, they must choose between passive complicity or transformative action. By embracing Paulo Freire’s concept of inédito viável—untested viability—and the framework of insurgent utopia, inspired by movements like the MST, universities can reclaim their potential as catalysts for radical societal transformation.
8.11.2024
Please Don’t Make Populism Great Again! – Reflections in the Wake of the U.S. Elections
Trump’s re-election threatens a return to oversaturated and simplistic discussions on populism. Emphasizing nuanced, innovative, and globally informed research over reactionary trends is essential to fully grasp the evolved nature of this intricate concept amid contemporary societal and political complexities, thereby meaningfully strengthening democratic practices in the long term.
7.11.2024
Podcasts
Screening Human Rights Documentaries in Hungary for More than 20 Years- Enikő Gyureskó on Verzió Festival’s Mission in Human Rights and Education
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Enikő Gyureskó- the Festival Director of Verzió International Human Rights Documentary Film Festival – discusses the program of the Verzió Film Festival, which will take place between 6-13 November; the rationale of choosing specific foci in this year's program; the importance of documentaries in raising awareness about contemporary human rights issues; the collaborations between Verzió with other European festivals to promote human rights; the relevance of educational initiatives and university partnerships to foster critical engagement in Hungary.
5.11.2024
Podcasts
Majoritarianism without Majorities – In Conversation with Kanchan Chandra
We are thrilled to publish the first episode of our monthly special series, produced in cooperation with the Journal of Democracy. In the framework of this new partnership, authors shall discuss outstanding articles from the newest print issue of the Journal of Democracy each month. In this conversation, hosted by Ferenc Laczo and Anubha Anushree, Professor Kanchan Chandra offers an incisive exploration of the strengths and limitations of modern democracies.
4.11.2024
Podcasts
The U.S. Elections with Levente Littvay
Join hosts Erin K. Jenne and Letitia Roman as they sit down with political scientist Levente Littvay to discuss the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Together, they explore why Donald Trump remains a prominent GOP candidate despite numerous legal challenges, how polarization and populism intertwine, and the role of conspiracy theories in today’s political climate. They also examine parallels between U.S. and European populism and the future of both major parties. Tune in for a deep dive into the complex dynamics shaping this year's election.
4.11.2024
Podcasts
The Authority of the EU Legislature: In Conversation with Martijn van den Brink
In June 2024, Martijn van den Brink’s monograph, Legislative Authority and Interpretation in the European Union was published by Oxford University Press. The book tackles deep conceptual issues about the EU legal order, and yet its insights are also relevant for some of the most pressing practical issues facing Europe today. Martijn van den Brink is an Assistant Professor of EU law at Maastricht University, and he has previously held positions at the Hertie School of Governance in Berlin, the University of Oxford. and the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity in Göttingen.
30.10.2024
The Radical Right Has Won the Election in Austria, But A Centrist Coalition Will Govern
The far-right FPÖ has won the 2024 general election in Austria but is highly likely to remain locked out of government. With all other parties having ruled out working with the current FPÖ leader, the most likely outcome of the government formation talks is a three-party government – the first to be formed since 1945 – led by the incumbent chancellor Karl Nehammer.
29.10.2024
Podcasts
Shadowing the European Commission on Rule of Law? In Conversation with Laurent Pech and Petra Bárd
The European Commission published its fifth annual Rule of Law Report in July 2024. In this RevDem Rule of Law podcast Oliver Garner discusses the effectiveness of this mechanism for upholding the EU's values with Professor Petra Bárd and Professor Laurent Pech. They have collaborated with the CEU Democracy Institute's rule of law clinic to produce a shadow report that will turn the lens back on the EU itself.
27.10.2024
Book Reviews
Downscaling by Upscaling – Timothy Shenk on the Center Left in Our Times
Left Adrift is a short, propulsively written book that tackles large arguments. The research that ultimately led to its publication began with a rather narrow question: How did Bill Clinton become president, anyway? Timothy Shenk grounds his learned and often entertaining response in intriguing characters who sought to explain the breakdown of the old Democratic majority forged via the New Deal – and to plan the next one. He contextualizes these efforts broadly, drawing on a host of "hard facts." The resulting book offers a series of original, insightful vignettes and engaging reflections on the battle over the future of the Democratic coalition in the U.S. and comparable parties across the globe.
25.10.2024
Reine Populismuslehre in Vienna? The Victory of the ‘Freedom Party’ in the 2024 Austrian National Election
Austria’s far-right FPÖ has won the national elections. Will Vienna follow Budapest since 2010, Warsaw from 2015- 2023, and Rome since 2022 in a path towards backsliding on EU values? Oliver Garner and Matthew Haji-Michael reflect.
24.10.2024
Democracy at Stake: Future Scenarios after Georgia’s Landmark Elections
On October 26, Georgia's parliamentary elections will serve as a referendum on its future, out of which three main scenarios emerge. In the first, the ruling Georgian Dream (GD) party wins, consolidates authoritarian rule, and aligns with Russia. A second scenario sees the opposition winning, potentially restoring democracy and accelerating EU integration. However, the most likely scenario involves contested results, which could trigger public unrest, violent clashes, and even Russian intervention. This critical election will most likely determine whether Georgia embraces European-style democracy or solidifies authoritarianism, risking further isolation from Western allies.
23.10.2024
Podcasts
Lia Tsuladze on How Georgian Dream Has Diverted Away from Europe and Its Implications for the Upcoming Elections
The Georgia Dream movement came to power over a decade ago. It initially claimed to want to uphold the European integration policies of its predecessor, but has slowly moved towards a more sovereign discourse. Over time, Georgia Dream has increasingly fueled affective political polarization, and now accuses its pro-European critics of wanting to drag Georgia into a war with Russia. It has furthermore vehemently defended adopting controversial anti-democratic legislation such as the so called ‘foreign agents’ law.
21.10.2024
Book Reviews
A Fight within the Law – Benjamin Nathans on the Fight for the Rule of Law inside Soviet Dissident Circles
How did the dissident circles from the Soviet Union develop into a concrete movement that first aimed to set limits on the Soviet state and then to challenge it? This pungent question has stirred academic debates virtually from the moment dissident movements emerged, debates which increased exponentially after the fall of Soviet regimes. By now, the scholarly canon on Soviet-era dissent is vast and it stretches from analysing the role of dissident movements in shaping public discourse and public memory, as Barbara Martin’s 2021 book Dissident Histories in the Soviet Union does, to proposing new frameworks within the post-revisionist context to understand this phenomenon (such as Alexei Yurchak does in his 2006 work Everything Was Forever Until Was No More) or even more recent developments that focus on less visible cases, such as hippies, as with Juliane Fürst’s 2020 book Flowers through Concrete. Yet, some topics have remained unclarified up to this day.
18.10.2024
J.M. Coetzee’s Jesus Trilogy as Meta-utopia or A Possibility for Democratic Thinking after Authoritarian Cultures
Meta-utopia could serve as a literary indicator of change in post-authoritarian cultures. Its presence exposes a space where every idea is subverted and where skeptical relativism is encouraged opposing any form of universalism following a great sense of betrayal and loss of faith in familiar socio-political forms.
17.10.2024
Venezuela Beyond Elections – Cracking Authoritarianism Through Human Rights
Venezuela is back in the news"—a phrase increasingly heard among journalists, political analysts, policymakers, and others across the globe in recent months. After years of protests, an enduring humanitarian and human rights crisis, and the forced exodus of nearly 25% of its population (7.7 million people, according to the United Nations), Venezuela has also become synonymous with corruption scandals, ongoing investigations in multiple countries, and a relentless political conflict led by an unpopular authoritarian president, Nicolás Maduro. Coupled with an economy hampered by various international sanctions, Venezuela, perhaps unsurprisingly, slowly faded into what can be described as "international fatigue." This so-called fatigue can in part be attributed to the perceived failure of various political strategies to effect change or restore democracy, compounded by a world preoccupied with multiple crises, where violent armed conflicts have taken center stage.
16.10.2024
Podcasts
The Regime Change Has To Be Performed by Russians Themselves – Roland Freudenstein on Russia, the War in Ukraine, and Autocrats in Europe
In our new podcast, Roland Freudenstein, Director of the Free Russia Foundation Brussels, and Founder and Executive Officer of the Brussels Freedom Hub discusses Russia’s geopolitical ambitions, how the war in Ukraine may end, and the potentials for a regime change in Moscow; reflects on democratic backsliding in EU Member States; and shares his thoughts about autocrats and how societies can be more resilient against authoritarianism.
9.10.2024
Pro-Kremlin Disinformation Is Distorting Democracy in Central and Eastern Europe
In Central and Eastern Europe, democracy has been deliberately eroded by disinformation. There has been a troubling surge of pro-Kremlin messaging since 2021, with Hungary serving as a regional epicenter of state-sponsored mistruths.
8.10.2024
Spirals of Radicalization – Reflections on a Terrifying Anniversary
Following the shocking crimes committed on October 7 last year, the leadership of the State of Israel has unwittingly walked into the terrifying trap set by Hamas. Its counterattack, which has resulted in mass casualties among Palestinians and the destruction of Gaza, has raised the Palestinian question to a whole new level while bringing the State of Israel’s international reputation to a nadir. Underlying the current cataclysm is Israel's growing inability to reconcile the fundamental contradiction between its Jewish identity and its democratic claims. Meanwhile, right-wing illiberal and radical leftist responses in the West bear clear marks of the spiral of radicalization in the Middle East, hampering the urgently needed process of reconciliation and the emergence of a viable long-term settlement.
7.10.2024
Podcasts
If There Was Not That Principled Element of Protecting the Liberal in Us, There Would Be No Need for the Harder Edge – Nathalie Tocci on the EU’s Global Strategy, Current Transformation, and Its New Sense of Mortality
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Nathalie Tocci – Director of the Istituto Affari Internazionali and part-time professor at the School of Transnational Governance, European University Institute – discusses the direction the EU has taken in recent years in the light of its global strategy and how far it has managed to become strategically autonomous; reflects on what principled pragmatism implies in the context of the rise of illiberalism; and considers what could change during the second European Commission headed by Ursula von der Leyen – and whether the EU’s centre of gravity might be shifting.
3.10.2024
Interviews
Reforming Ukraine’s Judiciary – EU Accession, Democracy, and the Rule of Law: In Conversation with Tetyana Antsupova and Sergii Koziakov
In September 2024 the project “The Dynamics of the Judiciary in Ukraine in the Context of the Rule of Law and the EU Accession Aspirations” commenced. The project is hosted by the British Institute of International and Comparative Law (BIICL) and is funded by the British Academy. This written interview, conducted by Rule of Law section editor Oliver Garner with researchers in the project, explicates its objectives, scope, and aspirations. Professor Tetyana Antsupova is a Senior Fellow at BIICL and an awardee of the British Academy Global Professorships scheme. She is a former judge in the Grand Chamber of the Supreme Court in Ukraine, and she is the lead researcher in the project. Dr Sergii Koziakov is a Research Leader at BIICL, a Visiting Fellow at the London School of Economics and Political Science in the Law School, and an Associate Professor at the Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv in the Institute of International Relations. From 2014 to 2019, he was Chairman of [...]
2.10.2024
Russian Soft Power: Shaping Georgia’s Political Future?
As Georgia approaches a pivotal parliamentary election on October 26, the ruling party – Georgian Dream – remains surprisingly resilient in its popularity. Despite large-scale anti-government protests earlier this year sparked by the controversial “foreign agents” bill, and opposition efforts to frame the ruling party as a Kremlin puppet steering the country away from its Western integration path, Georgian Dream is continuing to lead in pre-election polls one month before the elections.
1.10.2024
Podcasts
We Need Better Cohesion in Europe Because We Need Reforms and New Resources – Mikuláš Dzurinda on Slovakia’s Path, the European People’s Party, and the Future of Ukraine
In our latest podcast, Mikuláš Dzurinda – President of the Wilfried Martens Centre and former Prime Minister of Slovakia – discusses the changes that EU membership has brought to Slovakia; reflects on the recent rightward shift in Europe and how this might influence the EPP's priorities; analyzes potential changes in Slovak foreign policy and the relationship with Hungary; and argues for Ukraine’s NATO accession.
30.09.2024
Podcasts
A Revelation for the History of Social Movements in Hungary: Bernadett Sebály on “The Story of Our Struggles” Database
In this conversation, Bernadett Sebály discusses the inception and development of the online database of protest events in Hungary, 1989–2010, entitled Küzdelmeink története, or “The Story of Our Struggles”; its use in pedagogical settings for students, activists, teachers, and everyday citizens; and the importance of its place between activism and scholarly research in the Hungarian illiberal context.
26.09.2024
How Utopia Is Incompatible with Democracy
In times of crisis we seem to long for utopia, or at least for utopian solutions. This should not be surprising today, especially in the face of pandemics, wars and climate change: The desire for something perfect, for something that will solve our problems, that can give us hope and make us dream for a better future, seems attractive even if it is unreachable. But why must it be unreachable? Can we not maybe will it into being? Can we not maybe design a world that is better, that is more just, that is more fulfilling? Can’t we turn a maybe into a certainty?
25.09.2024
Podcasts
What Leads Idealists into Morally Disastrous Territory? – Adam Kirsch on the Ideology of Settler Colonialism and Preferable Traditions of the Oppressed
In this new conversation at the Review of Democracy, Adam Kirsch – author of the new book On Settler Colonialism. Ideology, Violence, and Justice – discusses the ideology of settler colonialism and how it leads idealists into morally disastrous territory; reflects on whether the application of this ideology to the State of Israel should be viewed as continuing the long, highly problematic tradition of antisemitism; considers whether there are valuable elements in this ideology that would be worth salvaging; and suggests preferable ways to think about the traditions of the oppressed.
23.09.2024
How to Avoid a Digital Dystopia in the Era of Social Media?
Within a very short period of time, a utopian vision of social media as a liberating technology, capable of creating a new form of direct, participatory democracy, has given way to a pessimistic, even catastrophic outlook. Understanding and channeling the power of the current communication revolution is crucial for restoring the transformative and democratic potential of online platforms.
20.09.2024
News
How to Overturn the Tech Coup? – Marietje Schaake on the Erosion of Democracy, the Need for Global Regulation, and the Democratic Internet Policy of the Future
In this conversation, Marietje Schaake – author of the new book The Tech Coup. How to Save Democracy from Silicon Valley – discusses how tech companies have been eroding democracy and what makes their growing power into a systemic problem; compares the policies of democratic and authoritarian regimes; identifies issues where regulation would be urgently needed on the global level; and spells out crucial aspects of a specifically democracy-focused internet policy.
17.09.2024
Book Reviews
The Failure of the post-Cold War Order – Andreas Rödder on Western Hubris, Russian Imperialism, and the Road Not Taken
Andreas Rödder’s new book, Der verlorene Frieden (The Lost Peace), addresses a vexing, much-debated question: why have the hopes raised at the end of the Cold War been so gravely disappointed? Why have those hopes been replaced by the threats of today’s “tendentially bipolar” (Eurasian autocrats versus the Western alliance) but also highly unpredictable and dangerous world? To offer a substantial response, Rödder approaches international relations from a historical perspective.
16.09.2024
Podcasts
“True Romanianness” – Marius Turda on Racism and Eugenics in Romanian History
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Marius Turda – author of the new book În Căutarea Românului Perfect. Specific național, degenerare rasială și selecție socială în România modernă (In Search of the Perfect Romanian. National Specificity, Racial Degeneration, and Social Selection in Modern Romania) – discusses the intersection between eugenics and racism in Romanian nation-building; presents the main historical moments that influenced the evolution of eugenics and racism; and analyzes the influence of interwar debates around eugenics and racism on socialist and post-socialist Romania.
13.09.2024
Why the Rise of New Generation of Southeast Asian Leaders Should Worry Us
Youth have played a significant role in the recent social movements in Southeast Asia. However, these hopeful moments seem brief as the young descendants of past political leaders emerge and continue to hold power. This clash of two forms of youth participation raises concerns about the nature of contemporary movements and represents a missed opportunity for democracy in breaking the cycle of political dynasties.
11.09.2024
News
Interregnum in Our New Age of Extremes
Politics returns. Arthur Schlessinger Jr’s. mid 1960’s referenced “Vital Center” is unwinding. A “Polanyi moment” risks approaching as social cohesion erodes and electorates embrace siloed discourse defining outsiders as enemies. Politics has become long on building cordon sanitaires against opponents, while being short on policy solutions and consensus. By Jeffrey Sommers, Cosmin Gabriel Marian and Daniel Pop The world system has exhibited concerning symptoms since the 2008 financial shock. Recently, we have seen their multiplication, intensity growing, and direction becoming unpredictable. This suggests that we are either living through an interregnum on the way to yet another failed recycling of older ideas or at a critical juncture on the way to something new. After the 20th century, it seemed that the world would no longer look this way. Francis Fukuyama, in 1989, published a famous essay in The National Interest, which announced “the end of history.” Soviet communism’s [...]
5.09.2024
Book Reviews
After the End of Naivety: Anne Applebaum on Current Autocratic Threats and the Path Forward
Anne Applebaum – a liberal conservative historian and journalist with an impressive catalogue of publications and exceptionally wide reach – may have recently distanced herself from her former right-wing allies. However, her new Autocracy Inc. displays more than the occasional penchant for Manichean perspectives. Autocracies, she asserts at one point, “want to create a global system that benefits thieves, criminals, dictators, and the perpetrators of mass murder” .
4.09.2024
Podcasts
Commodification of Ethnic Sexuality and Social Belonging – George Paul Meiu on Political Representation and the Role of Objects
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, George Paul Meiu clarifies his concept of ethno-erotic economy and the commodification of ethnic sexuality; reflects on the role of objects in shaping political representations; discusses belonging and citizenship as well as mobility, memory, and materiality – and shares his insights concerning possible interpretations of the Greek God Dionysus episode at the Opening Ceremony of the Paris Olympic Games.
30.08.2024
A Green-Powered Autocracy: How Serbia’s Lithium Reshapes the EU’s Values
As the EU races to secure lithium for its green transition, Serbia emerges as its key partner, securing economic benefits at a significant environmental and social cost. As Belgrade aligns more closely with Brussels and Berlin, critiques of its democratic backsliding fade, giving rise to a "greener" stabilitocracy.
29.08.2024
Podcasts
Off White – Anikó Imre and James Mark on Eastern Europe in the Global History of Race
In this conversation, Anikó Imre and James Mark – co-editors, with Catherine Baker and Bogdan Iacob, of the new volume Off White. Central and Eastern Europe and the Global History of Race – present the ambiguities of East Europeans’ whiteness and the major implications such ambiguities have had; analyze how the “two halves of Europe” compare when it comes to questions of white supremacy; explicate what their historical approach to nation building in Eastern Europe has yielded; discuss the place and role of East Europeans in global rightist networks today; and reflect on how they see their own role as mediators between political cultures and different scholarly traditions.
26.08.2024
Unpacking the Link Between Gender-based Violence and Autocratization
We are witnessing the worrying proliferation of exclusionary political visions across the globe. Aspiring autocrats are exchanging know-how, and it is becoming clear that gender-based violence is part of the toolkit.
23.08.2024
Podcasts
The Trojan Horse Has Arrived – András Bozóki on Autocratization, External Constraints, and the Role of His Own Generation
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, András Bozóki – author of the new collection Töréspontok. Tanulmányok az autokrácia kialakulásáról (Breaking Points. Studies on the Formation of Autocracy) – reflects on what has made the anti-democratic turn in Hungary so effective and discusses what has surprised him the most about the evolution of the Orbán regime; comments on the regime’s attempted remaking of Hungarian elite groups and its uses of ideology to legitimate its rule; evaluates his thesis on the Orbán regime being an “externally constrained hybrid regime” in light of more recent developments; and assesses the role of his own generation, the 1989ers, in the longer arc of history.
21.08.2024
Podcasts
How Charm Shapes Politics – Julia Sonnevend on Personal Magnetism and Its Growing Impact in Our Age of Social Media
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Julia Sonnevend – author of the new book Charm. How Magnetic Personalities Shape Global Politics – analyzes the main techniques politicians use to appear charming; compares the uses of such techniques by liberal and illiberal political leaders; discusses how gendered the perception of charm has remained; and considers whether politicians are likely to become even more like social media influencers in the coming years.
19.08.2024
Podcasts
Populism in Power – A Conversation with Giorgos Venizelos
There's indeed a lot of confusion about populism, even though there's so much literature about it. Without going too deep in this heated debate, I should say that scholars agree that populism is organised around two notions: people- centrism and anti-elitism. Of course, there are very different approaches to these two operational criteria related to the people and the elite. For me, populist communication is not just about rhetoric, but also bodily gestures, accents and aesthetics that resemble, represent and enact ‘the people.’ When we talk about populism, we also talk about a certain logic, a certain style or performance. And it can also be said that populism operates with a political cleavage that is distinct from the typical left-right political cleavage – it's a cleavage between ‘the populists’ or ‘the people’ at the bottom and ‘the elite’ or ‘the anti-populists’ at the top. There is non-populist politics as well, of course, politics or discourses that do not have these [...]
14.08.2024
The 2024 Paris Olympic Games: An Opportunity for a Long-Lasting, Intangible Legacy
‘Legacies’ are complex and hard to assess. In the case of the Olympic Games, the concept has become paramount for the International Olympic Committee (IOC) and all the entities involved in the bidding process, planning, development, and successful delivery of this mega-event. ‘Legacy’ can be viewed through different lenses; they may be tangible or intangible and may be assessed against a variety of criteria.
12.08.2024
Book Reviews
How Do Autocrats Campaign Online? – Caglar Ozturk reviews Marc Owen Jones’ Digital Authoritarianism in the Middle East: Deception, Disinformation, and Social Media
The book argues that authoritarian rulers in the Middle East fund nefarious activities online to silence their opponents abroad, to polish their own image (or their countries’ image) in Western countries and change the narrative about their persistent abuse of human rights. The author claims that these activities have broader implications beyond the region.
9.08.2024
How Illiberal Memory Regimes Paved the Way for the Erosion of Academic Autonomy – Lessons from Hungary
Operating at the intersection between politics and academia, National Memory Institutes across Central and Eastern Europe have developed appealing and resonant narratives and produced a “thick” ideology. Their rise has helped normalize the erosion of autonomous, scholarly expertise in the name of an idealized national community.
7.08.2024
Podcasts
The Vehicle of Change is Always Politics – Sanjay Kumar on the 2024 Elections in India
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, eminent psephologist and political analyst Sanjay Kumar discusses the recently concluded elections in India. Kumar weighs in on some of the unique features of the Indian elections in 2024, the emerging patterns of change, and what the election verdicts mean for democracy and politics in the Global South.
5.08.2024
Two Paths to Power – What Unites Giorgia Meloni and Viktor Orbán? What Separates Them?
Meloni and Orbán are often treated as closely comparable political actors. However, their trajectories are widely divergent, and this is reflected in their respective understanding of both domestic political action and international alliances.
2.08.2024
Europe’s Largest Minority Left Without Political Representation in the EP – Reflections on the Outcome of the European Elections
Despite the fact that it is difficult to meaningfully address Roma inclusion without effective political representation, the representation of Roma – Europe’s largest minority – has been severely neglected across the European political space, with no Roma candidate getting elected to the European Parliament this year.
31.07.2024
Podcasts
Ukraine Will Not Slide into Authoritarianism – A Conversation with Pat Cox
In this conversation, Pat Cox reflects on the new term of the European Parliament and the importance of the rise of the Right in the Union and its member states. He also discusses his work in Ukraine after 2012 – when he led a mission to free political prisoners imprisoned by President Viktor Yanukovych – as well as in more recent years when he has co-directed the Jean Monnet Dialogues which aim to build consensus between the main political parties represented in the Ukrainian Parliament.
29.07.2024
Navigating France’s New Political Era: Election Results and Their Implications
On Sunday 7 July 2024 at 20.00 pm, France – and a large part of EU Member States – welcomed the results of the second round of the legislative elections with immense relief: Marine Le Pen’s far-right party will not lead the second-largest economy in the EU for the coming years.
11.07.2024
Podcasts
Why Do We See the Rise of Anti-Democrats in Democracies? – Zack Beauchamp on the Reactionary Spirit Across the Globe
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Zack Beauchamp – author of the new book The Reactionary Spirit. How America’s Most Insidious Political Tradition Swept the World – discusses the specific kind of antidemocratic politics that emerges in countries with democratic institutions; shows how the United States might to said to have invented competitive authoritarianism; explains the conclusions he drew from comparing countries from different continents and how those conclusions may help us correct Western misperceptions; and reflects on the major intellectual inspirations behind his book.
10.07.2024
Podcasts
Why Was Central-South-East Europe Labeled as “Corrupt”? – Silvia Márton on Transnational Histories of Corruption
In this podcast, Silvia Márton, principal investigator within the ERC Project “Transnational Histories of ‘Corruption’ in Central-South-East Europe,” discusses the multiple understandings of the concept “corruption” in the context of Central-South-East Europe.
8.07.2024
Try a Little Tenderness – EU–UK Relations after the Elections
Labour’s victory in Thursday’s UK elections will finally bring the era of Brexit to an end in European politics. Britain's exit has happened. Although most Brits today would vote in favour of their country's membership in the Union, in their minds and in those of EU citizens reunification does not appear to be an urgent matter for the coming years – Jean-Claude Juncker talks of a "century or two" as a possible time horizon for Britain's future EU membership. This does not mean that the relationship between the EU and Britain should not change fundamentally.
5.07.2024
Podcasts
The Intellectual Sources of the EU’s Response to the Rule of Law Crisis: In Conversation with Maciej Krogel
This latest RevDem Rule of Law podcast discusses the doctoral research of Dr Maciej Krogel following the defence of his thesis “The intellectual sources of the European Union’s response to the rule of law crisis in the Member States”. Maciej is a lecturer at the University of Amsterdam and he completed a re:constitution fellowship in 2022/23.
4.07.2024
The UK General Election: What Might the Future Hold for Ethical Standards and Checks on Executive Power?
Tomorrow, the UK public will go to the polls. But the general election takes place in a climate of public distrust of politics, and against a backdrop of ethics scandals and the weakening of constitutional norms. What should we expect from the next government?
3.07.2024
The European Union’s Hungary Problem
On July 1, 2024, Hungary will take over the rotating presidency of the Council of the European Union. The fact that a country with serious rule of law deficits will preside over one of the EU’s most important institutions for six months raises concerns. In a resolution in June 2023, the European Parliament questioned the extent to which Hungary could “credibly perform this task” and called on the European Council to “find an appropriate solution”—presumably by revoking Hungary’s presidency. (The European Council is the body of the 27 EU leaders; the Council of the European Union, informally also known as “the council,” is composed of the national ministers of all the member states; only the latter negotiates legislature, mostly with the European Parliament, and adopts it.)
1.07.2024
Venelin Ganev on Westsplaining Versus Eastsplaining
Voicing opinions to explain political tensions from afar is contentious for those treated as mute subjects. Focusing solely on distant, global decision-making disguises local complexity. Acknowledging the perspectives of East Europeans on Russian aggression and NATO membership helps liberate the oppressed and open up the debate.
26.06.2024
Podcasts
A Paradoxical Relationship? – Gergő Medve-Bálint on the First Two Decades of Hungary’s EU Membership
In this conversation, Gergő Medve-Bálint – co-editor, with András Bíró-Nagy of the new volume Húsz év az Európai Unióban. Magyarország uniós tagságának közpolitikai mérlege (Twenty Years in the European Union. A Balance Sheet of Hungary’s Membership and Public Policies) – discusses the achievements and shortcomings of Hungary’s EU membership; what continuities and ruptures there have been across these two decades; in what ways Hungary has been a reliable member of the club and where it has deviated from common agendas and policies; and what the case of Hungary may reveal about how the semi-peripheries have fared within the EU since 2004.
24.06.2024
News
European Citizenship, Passport Apartheid and Enlargement: What Is the Future of the EU? – Professor Kochenov’s Approach
I stand with Raymond Aron: since citizenship is about exclusion, ‘global citizenship’ is an oxymoron – a dramatic misrepresentation of what citizenship is about. What I study is global citizenship apartheid. From this perspective citizenship is an arbitrary blood-based ascription of liabilities, which is totalitarian in nature and imposed on the majority of the population of the world. James Tully is right: citizenship is part of the colonizer package, because, historically, racialised inhabitants of the colonies could not enjoy the same rights as the ‘civilized’ white colonizers. What my scholarship suggests is that the current function of citizenship is to replay this kind of hierarchy of the ‘standards of civilization’ of pre-UN international law by denying dignity and rights to billions of individuals.
21.06.2024
Emergency in Slovakia
The climate of hostility in which the assassination attempt on Robert Fico took place has been a feature of Slovak politics for the past two decades. And Fico has played a decisive role in creating it. How the situation in Slovakia came about – and whether it will continue to deteriorate.
20.06.2024
Podcasts
Finding the Pragmatist Middle Ground – Michael S. Roth on Being a Student and Student Activism Today
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Michael S. Roth sketches the main ways of being a student since ancient times; reflects on the process of learning “to be free”; explores the reasons behind the politicization of universities in the United States; considers what might be new about the adversarial relationship between students and university administrators these days; and sketches what “safe enough spaces” might look like in our turbulent times.
17.06.2024
To Survive the EU Needs Its Own Political Space – Unpacking the Democratic Implications of the 2024 EU Elections
As the dust settles over the EU elections, it is worth taking a step back to fully grasp the democratic meaning of these elections – the 10th ever organized at the pan-EU level. Over the past week, approximately 50% of EU citizens took the time to vote in the EU elections, thus matching the record-high turn-out of the previous 2019 elections. These 180 million eligible voters voted on different dates between June 6 and 9, for national – not European – political parties and for national – not European – candidates who ran on national – not European – programs. So much for ‘European’ politics. After over 70 years of unprecedented socio-economic integration, the Union lacks an EU-wide electoral competition capable of fostering a genuine transnational space of debate and dialogue – both within institutions and outside them – where citizens can understand, influence and participate in decision-making affecting their common interests as Europeans.
13.06.2024
A Decade of Rule of Law Backsliding: Lessons Learnt for the Next EU Legislative Period
For more than a decade, the European Union (EU) has witnessed a decay of the rule of law in some of its Member States, especially Hungary and Poland. The deliberate and systematic deconstruction of the rule of law and other pillars of democracy was particularly severe in Hungary and Poland. This backsliding quickly became a European matter as the EU is not only an economic alliance with free movement of goods, services and people, but also a legal union of values. Therefore, for safeguarding the rule of law, the behavioral aspects are as important as the systemic ones. Research suggests that press freedom, robust civic space, public support for democracy, and the compliance with the law of elected officials and decision-makers are as significant as pillars of rule of law resilience as a comprehensive constitutional design, independent judiciary, and a public administration that is free from political influence and corruption.
11.06.2024
Podcasts
Incremental Rule of Law Restoration? Polish Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar in Budapest
What are the most important legal and political challenges in rebuilding the Rule of Law in Poland? Polish Minister of Justice Adam Bodnar highlighted them in his lecture at the CEU Democracy Institute in Budapest. On May 27 the CEU Democracy Institute Rule of Law clinic was launched with an inaugural lecture from the Minister for Justice of Poland Adam Bodnar. The event provided a unique opportunity to hear a sitting member of an anti-illiberal government explain how the Rule of Law will be restored after nearly a decade of backsliding under the previous government. The key theme of the lecture was the endorsement of incrementalism over revolution as a means to rebuild a ‘sustainable’ Rule of Law.
7.06.2024
Fading Hopes for Change – Bulgaria and Romania
In Bulgaria and Romania, the EP elections coincide with national elections. Interminable political instability, corruption and socioeconomic tensions all contribute to voter fatigue. With the far right in the ascendant, 9 June could be a watershed.
6.06.2024
The Péter Magyar Phenomenon
Veni, Vidi, Vici? We do not know yet. However, Hungarian public discourse in the past few months has revolved around the so-called “Péter Magyar Phenomenon.” Andrea Szabó and Annamária Sebestyén (HUN-REN Center for Social Sciences, Institute for Political Science) share their insights into the reasons behind Péter Magyar's success from a perspective that has so far been neglected: how a deepening political vacuum has fostered collective longings.
5.06.2024
Podcasts
Racism Against East Europeans – Jannis Panagiotidis and Hans-Christian Petersen on the Applicability of a Key Concept and Today’s Ambiguous Terrain
In this conversation, Jannis Panagiotidis and Hans-Christian Petersen – authors of the new book Antiosteuropäischer Rassismus in Deutschland. Geschichte und Gegenwart (Racism Against East Europeans in Germany. History and the Present Day) – show why racism is an appropriate category when discussing stereotypes and prejudices against East Europeans; explain why there is a need for “an Eastern enlargement of the racism debate”; discuss how the most extreme, National Socialist forms of racism relate to what came before and after; consider how racism against East Europeans might be embedded in the larger, more global system of prejudices and domination; and reflect on the current stakes of their scholarly intervention.
4.06.2024
Debunking Myths About Populism in Power
'Populism' and 'power' have an uneasy relationship. Key texts reveal three assumptions about populism's 'fate' in power: first, it becomes mainstream; second, it turns authoritarian; third, it fails / succeeds to implement policies. Giorgos Venizelos argues we must look beyond populism's content or outcomes and turn instead to populism's function of constructing collective identities through discursive / affective performativity.
3.06.2024
Podcasts
Democracy, Populism, and the Myth of Rational Politics – In Conversation with Yannis Stavrakakis
In this conversation with Lorena Drakula, Yannis Stavrakakis – author of the new Research Handbook on Populism and the book Populist Discourse. Recasting Populism Research – discusses the past and future of populism research; analyzes the outdated stereotypes that shape the political role of the ‘populist’ label; and argues for returning passions to the very core of democratic representation. Yannis Stavrakakis is a Professor of Political Science at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki and director of the Laboratory for the Study of Democracy. He was one of the founding co-conveners of the Populism Specialist Group of the Political Studies Association (UK) and also directed the POPULISMUS Observatory.
31.05.2024
Podcasts
Why Have Color Revolutions Become Much Less Likely? – Mike Smeltzer Reflects on De-Democratization, Promising Developments, and Urgent Tasks
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Mike Smeltzer – Senior Research Analyst at Freedom House who has just co-led the research on the Nations in Transit 2024 report – clarifies how the research they conduct into the broad and diverse post-communist region conceives of democracy; explains how the newest developments in these twenty-nine countries can be related to long-term trends and how these countries may fit broader patterns; discusses what autocratizing hybrid regimes – such as Georgia, Hungary, or Serbia – have in common and how autocracies help each other these days; and reflects on the most positive developments and urgent tasks for democrats.
30.05.2024
Podcasts
Securitization of EU Refugee Law: In Conversation with Aleksandra Ancite-Jepifánova
Since the 2015 refugee crisis there has been an increasing ‘securitization’ of EU refugee law that has only been exacerbated by the Russia-Ukraine conflict. In this latest RevDem Rule of Law podcast Oliver Garner discusses this phenomenon with Aleksandra Ancite- Jepifánova. She is a Research Affiliate with the Refugee Law Initiative at the University of London and Visiting Fellow at the Centre of Law and Society at Cardiff University.
28.05.2024
Podcasts
Social Justice in Twentieth-Century Europe: Martin Conway and Camilo Erlichman on the Malleability and Ideological Promiscuity of a Crucial Aspiration
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Martin Conway and Camilo Erlichman – editors of the new volume Social Justice in Twentieth-Century Europe – discuss how to approach the question of social justice historically; show how this aspiration may be placed at the confluence of key developments in the twentieth century; explain how focusing on this questions allows us to study the interactions between rulers and the ruled; sketch some of the main features of different eras of social justice; and consider whether social justice is still understood primarily by its absence as it so often was during the past century.
27.05.2024
Nepali Bureaucracy: The Powerful Establishment
In this op-ed, Sushav Niraula explores the contradictory nature of Nepali bureaucracy, which can both resist and be subservient to elected representatives. This duality has resulted from increased bureaucratic power after the end of the monarchy. The op-ed discusses factors that have led to excess bureaucratic power and argues that governance reforms need to find a balance between power and accountability to make Nepali public service efficient.
24.05.2024
Podcasts
The State of Democracy and Constitutionalism in India: with Tarunabh Khaitan
In this interview with Tarunabh Khaitan, we discuss the ongoing crisis of democracy and constitutionalism in India. At the time of conducting the interview, elections are underway in India, with approximately a month left for results to be declared. In this context, we discuss the differences between the first and the second term of the Modi government, India’s place in the ongoing wave of global populism, suggestions for recovering constitutional democracy, and the dangers of “Scholactivism”.
23.05.2024
The Federal Republic at 75 and the Unmaking of the Post-War Era
The Federal Republic of Germany turns 75 this week. As the post-war model of democracy has largely seized to function, there is a disorientation about the relation between this history and Germany’s current juncture. How urgent problems are approached, however, will depend on the meaning given to those years.
22.05.2024
Why Did Erdoğan’s AK Party Win Again in 2023?
Despite expectations of an opposition victory, Erdogan and his Justice and Development Party (AKP) secured the highest vote share and were reelected in 2023. The long-term project of national developmentalism and strong support from women, along with more specific factors like Kılıçdaroğlu’s candidacy and the February 6th earthquakes, significantly influenced the results.
21.05.2024
Correcting the Main Narrative – Student Media and the Protests at Columbia University
How do Columbia students who have been reporting on campus and amplifying voices of their fellows interpret the recent wave of student protests and its suppression? What do they find most surprising about the conflict’s escalation and how do they reflect on their own roles in such turbulent times?
20.05.2024
Resisting ‘State Capture’ as a Democratic Priority
The canon of writing on ways to save democracy from its current perils is vast. Political scientists, economists and historians have responded in their droves to the Trump presidency, Brexit and the global ‘democratic recession’. Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt’s ‘How Democracies Die’ typifies the response from political science: improve democratic processes and participation to encourage political inclusion. Dambisa Moyo’s ‘The Edge of Chaos’ shows the response from economics: deliver economic growth to tackle populism. David Stasavage’s ‘The Decline and Rise of Democracy’ takes the historical perspective, seeking lessons on democratic practices from the period between Ancient Greece and modern Europe. In this rush to find answers, something has fallen through the gap between politics, economics and history: power.
17.05.2024
Europe Turns East – Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia, Moldova, Ukraine
Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has put eastern Europe firmly at the centre of the EU’s foreign policy agenda, transformed attitudes to defence and given fresh impetus to reforms by candidates for EU membership. But with rightwing movements and authoritarianism gaining ground, support for Ukraine and EU enlargement is under threat.
16.05.2024
Catalonia Is Not Just for the Right – A Conversation with Benet Salellas
In this new conversation at the Review of Democracy, Catalan independence activist and lawyer Benet Salellas reflects on the concept of catalanisme and discusses progressive arguments in favor of amnesty for Catalan activists.
15.05.2024
Judith Butler on the Anti-Gender Ideology Movement, Current Theories of Gender, and Their Ideas of Radical Democracy
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Judith Butler – author of the new book Who’s Afraid of Gender – discuss their interpretation of the anti-gender ideology movement and what makes it ‘inadvertently confessional’; explain why we should think about the material and the social as intertwined also when we reflect on issues of gender; show what a broader, more global discussion of such issues could yield; and illuminate how they think about radical democracy.
13.05.2024
Reconstructing Shared Futures
Matteo Marenco reflects on Jonathan White’s "In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea."
10.05.2024
Learning to Belong-On Ukraine’s Path to the European Union
I was born in the Soviet Union right before its collapse. As I was only 1 year old when Ukraine became independent, I do not remember that ‘super state,’ though my birth certificate will always remind me of it. At the time of my birth, my parents could not even imagine that their daughter would get the opportunity to live abroad and do so in five different countries, four of them outside the boundaries of the then still existing Warsaw Pact, in what was then referred to as the ‘rotten, bourgeois, capitalist West.’ As a teenager, I became more interested and aware of the political situation in Europe and its implications for Ukraine. The year 2004, when I was 14, was full of important events and developments in the European Union as well as Ukraine. It was the year of the biggest EU enlargement, which included many countries that used to be in the ‘sphere of influence’ of the former USSR. The EU expanded and Ukraine became a country bordering the EU.
6.05.2024
News
Europeanization Against All Odds – A Professional-Personal View on Two Decades of Central and Eastern European Countries’ EU Membership
A couple of days after Czechia entered the European Union in May 2004, I went to Vienna for a few days together with my wife and friends. The destination was no coincidence because, for Czechs in general and Southern Moravians like me in particular, Vienna had a profound symbolic meaning during the period of communism and the subsequent transition to democracy. As EU citizens, we visited the Austrian capital, an object of many historical longings and resentments, given the complicated Czech history under the Habsburg Empire. However, at the time of our visit, I perceived Vienna differently. For me, 2004 meant the symbolic end of the Cold War, a merger of ‘old’ and ‘new’ Europe, and completion of the dream we saw already shortly after the Velvet Revolution: the return to Europe.
3.05.2024
News
Romania: Spartans, Helots, and the Rule of Law in Europe
Romania has entered the Union in 2007, together with Bulgaria and as a Big Bang afterthought. Both countries joined with Cooperation and Verification Mechanism (CVM) strings attached. The CVM, a sui generis stopgap whose very name conjured up ambivalence, was initially meant to lapse after three years. It was formally lifted only in 2023, albeit actual monitoring was discontinued for Bulgaria in 2019 and for Romania in 2022. Due to their geographical and cultural vicinity, accession twinning, and the CVM, these two countries have repeatedly been analogised, most recently with respect to Schengen enlargement. They are dissimilar in that, although the CVM formally applied very similar conditions to both (anticorruption, judicial independence), only Romania created strong anticorruption institutions.
2.05.2024
News
How Time Has Stopped Again – Hungary and Europe Twenty Years after the EU’s Big Bang Enlargement
I would like to approach the 2004 EU accession from the perspective of time. Time is perceived to fly fast in certain periods, then it appears to slow down before speeding up again. In Hungary, for example, time stood still during the sleepy decades of state socialism before, from the late 1970s onward, transformations of historic significance occurred in no more than a couple of years. Still, although there were some cathartic episodes here and there, the change of the political and economic system took place peacefully: law professors, historians, and other intellectuals sat down at a table in 1989 to lay down the fundamentals of a new social and political order. None of them was really an expert on capitalism; they approached the issue as social scientists. The intent to create a more dynamic system—one that respected the full range of human rights as well as individual endeavors—connected these people, notwithstanding their varied backgrounds.
29.04.2024
News
On Exceeded Expectations and Lost Illusions – How Its Legacies Haunt Europe Today
Having been born ‘behind the Iron Curtain,’ and now teaching history with a focus on Central and Eastern Europe in European Studies and liberal arts programs in Maastricht, my personal trajectory cannot be properly comprehended and would not even be imaginable without the EU’s ‘big bang enlargement.’ I happen to have received my bachelor’s degree from University College Utrecht back in 2003 when the possibilities of studying at Western institutions remained rare for students from Central and Eastern Europe.
26.04.2024
Interviews
East Europeans, the Eternal Poor Children of the Union?
In this conversation with Petr Agha, Joseph H. H. Weiler discusses the EU’s persistent democratic deficit and how the Union’s equilibrium has been disrupted; explores the rise of populism and questions of national identity; contrasts Eastern and Western Europe; and reflects on the evolving geopolitical landscape. “Let's fix European democracy first, and then I would be in favour of majoritarianism because veto power is undemocratic.”
25.04.2024
Podcasts
To push for as large a change as our democratic system will permit: Joseph Stiglitz on economics and the good society
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Joseph Stiglitz discusses key features of progressive, social democratic capitalism; explains what motivated him to want to reclaim the language of freedom from the Right; and reflects on what the toolkit of the economist can contribute to our understanding of the relationship between freedom and democracy.
24.04.2024
Podcasts
The presidential subversion of the Mexican judiciary: In conversation with Azul A. Aguiar Aguilar
I wanted to explore how the dynamics of attacks from the President on the judiciary are evolving and what are the causes, conditions, and the timing of these rhetorical attacks. I wanted to explore this because the judiciary is an important institution in presidential and constitutional democracies as it guarantees the separation of powers and checks and balances. I wanted to study this and put it into a research program because, since the arrival of our current President Andrés Manuel Lopez Obrador in 2018, we have seen variations in how the president refers to the judges and constitutional judges in the judiciary. I started my discussion in the working paper from the 1994 judicial reform. This reform is very important for us because it radically transformed the performance of the judiciary. The 1994 reform introduced judicial independence for the courts and a professional system of judges. But the most important change in this reform was that it empowered the courts through a [...]
22.04.2024
News
US’s Confusing Role in Protecting Democracy in Bangladesh
Sheikh Hasina's Awami League secured power in Bangladesh for the fourth consecutive term through an uncontested election on January 7th, 2024. When it comes to engagement with Bangaldesh, the United States' commitment to democratic processes and its aspirations for immediate engagement with the government exhibits a gray area. In the intricate tapestry of global politics, the United States often finds itself in a precarious position as both an advocate for democracy and a pragmatist driven by its geopolitical interests. In few places is this as evident as in its engagement with Bangladesh, where a nuanced dance between democratic principles and strategic alliances unfolds.
19.04.2024
Podcasts
Weaken Constitutional Review, Strengthen European Democracy – In Conversation with Nik de Boer
Are constitutional judges well equipped to deal with fundamental constitutional questions about the EU? Should national constitutional courts aim to address the EU democratic deficit? Several scholars see national constitutional courts as a constructive force in the EU legal order. Nik de Boer argues differently, and reasons why is it better to leave certain issues to parliaments rather than constitutional courts? In this conversation with Kasia Krzyżanowska, Nik de Boer discusses his recent book “Judging European Democracy. The Role and Legitimacy of National Constitutional Courts in the EU” (Oxford University Press 2023). The transcript was amended to improve readability and clarity.
9.04.2024
News
Pellegrini won in Slovakia. So did Fico, Orbán, and the Kremlin
Peter Pellegrini won the presidential election in Slovakia last weekend with 53 percent of the vote. Pellegrini, who ran against former diplomat Ivan Korčok as the candidate of the ruling coalition led by Robert Fico, entered the race as the absolute favorite – for months before the campaign even started, Fico’s political ally of many years was already polling as the most likely potential candidate for the top constitutional post. The first round of the election two weeks ago changed that dynamic since Korčok emerged first then. As we understand now, it may have helped mobilize the part of the electorate that did not vote for Pellegrini at first but was absolutely opposed to Korčok. The part of the electorate in question is mainly composed of people who have for years been mobilized by far-right and anti-system politicians via emotions of fear and hate.
9.04.2024
Podcasts
Still a long way to go
In this conversation with our guest editor Eszter Horvath, Phillip Ayoub discusses recent developments in the LGBT movement, introduces the concept of locally rooted messaging, and his own trajectory from activism to academia. Phillip Ayoub is a Professor in the Department of Political Science and School of Public Policy at University College London. He also serves as Editor of the European Journal of Politics & Gender. Ayoub's research bridges international relations and comparative politics, engaging with literature on transnational politics, sexuality and gender, norm diffusion, and the study of social movements, with a strong interest in how the transnational mobilization of marginalized peoples and international channels of visibility influence socio-legal change across states. He is the author of When States Come Out: Europe’s Sexual Minorities and the Politics of Visibility (Cambridge University Press, 2016), and The Global Fight Against LGBTI Rights: How Transnational [...]
4.04.2024
Podcasts
Adventures in Democracy
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Erica Benner – author of the new book Adventures in Democracy: The Turbulent World of People Power – shows what a more self-critical and down-to-earth understanding of democracy would entail; discusses what it means that there is a constant battle within democracies between principles of universal liberty, equality, and power-sharing, on the one hand, and the boys’ club logic, on the other; explains why self-restraint and acknowledging others’ fear of losing their share of power are crucially important; and reflects on the development of a truly global conversation about democracy.
2.04.2024
Book Reviews
Who is afraid of the Doppelganger?
Until now, Naomi Klein has been chiefly known for her sharp arguments and passionate manifestos. Her new work Doppelganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World reveals her to be a consummate essayist who takes you on along her personal adventure that starts with her regularly being mistaken for another controversial writer. Eventually, this adventure, during times of COVID-19 and the digital attention economy, leads us straight into the shifting sands of politics.
20.03.2024
Podcasts
Why Would You Call Donald Trump a Fascist?
Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins on American Intellectuals, the Fascism Debate, and the Larger Political Stakes In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins – editor of the new collection Did It Happen Here? Perspectives on Fascism and America – discusses the intellectual stakes and political relevance of the fascism debate; reflects on how the fascism debate relates to discourses around democratic decline and the ongoing history wars; shows what a more global perspective on US American debates can reveal; and ponders whether the next round of the fascism debate might just be around the corner. Daniel Steinmetz-Jenkins is a historian of modern political and intellectual thought. He acts as Assistant Professor in the College of Social Studies at Wesleyan University. He runs a regular interview series at The Nation and is an editor at Modern Intellectual History. He also helps curate the History of Ideas section of the Review of Democracy. Did It Happen Here? [...]
18.03.2024
Podcasts
What makes solidarity so essential and how could it become even more transformative?
In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Leah Hunt-Hendrix – co-author, with Astra Taylor, of the new book Solidarity. The Past, Present, and Future of a World Changing Idea – shows what makes solidarity so essential in social movements that advance and expand democratic ambitions; explains why philanthropy should be adapted to grassroots movements rather than vice versa; discusses how solidaristic organizing could become more transformative in the future; and reflects on the intellectual historical context of their book.
13.03.2024
News
Why data matters for progress on gender equality
Data plays a fundamental role in mobilizing, focusing, and monitoring efforts to achieve gender equality. It helps identify gaps, streamline policies, and direct resources. However, the chronic underfunding of gender statistics and the inaccessibility of disaggregated data hamper efforts to these ends. Different kinds of data are needed. While current global efforts in tracking progress rely largely on official statistics, there’s also a need to understand the complexity and nuances of inequality - information that is hard to capture numerically. This commentary addresses progress, setbacks, and complementary data needed in the quest for gender equality. It draws from a recent assessment of the United Nation’s progress on gender equality across the Sustainable Development Goals, The Gender Snapshot 2023.
8.03.2024
Podcasts
Autonomous but with no bridges built: Fernando Casal Bértoa on inter-party relations in Spain -Party Co-Op Series
For most of its existence the Spanish party system has been dominated by the Socialist Party, PSOE, and the People’s Party, PP. Accordingly, and somewhat unusually in Europe, the governments tended to be based on a single party. However, parties have been repeatedly forced to cooperate in parliament and since 2020 they must share office in government. This change is obviously related to the fact that recently new actors have appeared on the scene, challenging the center-right and the center-left.
26.02.2024
News
In Changing Geopolitical Context, EU Democracy Support Loses Momentum
Despite the launch of some new programs, the EU’s security and peacebuilding missions increasingly focused on containment of conflict, even though democracy support is defined as a central pillar of the EU’s conflict-resolution strategy - writes Zselyke Csaky.
22.02.2024
Podcasts
The Geopolitics of Shaming – In Conversation with Rochelle Terman
In this interview with RevDem editor Kasia Krzyżanowska, Rochelle Terman discusses her most recent book The Geopolitics of Shaming: When Human Rights Pressure Works—and When It Backfires published with Princeton University Press (2023). Rochelle Terman -- an assistant professor of the Department of Political Science at the University of Chicago. Her first book, The Geopolitics of Shaming: When Human Rights Pressure Works—and When It Backfires, was published in 2023 with Princeton University Press.
19.02.2024
Podcasts
Grand Strategies of the Left – Van Jackson on US Foreign Policy and the Possibilities of Progressive Worldmaking
In this conversation with RevDem editor Ferenc Laczó, Van Jackson – author of the new book Grand Strategies of the Left. The Foreign Policy of Progressive Worldmaking – explains what distinguishes progressives from liberal internationalists; clarifies why he thinks that the tradition of grand strategy might be worth rescuing by and for progressives; discusses the three main progressive grand strategies that are recurrently articulated in the US these days, what they priorities are, and what risks they respectively contain; distils the main consensual points of progressive worldmaking; and reflects on what a global starting point for agendas comparable to his own might lead to.
9.02.2024
Podcasts
How Do You Tear Down a Border? – Matthew Longo on the Pan-European Picnic and the Meaning of Freedom
In this conversation with RevDem editor Ferenc Laczó, Matthew Longo – author of the new book The Picnic. A Dream of Freedom and the Collapse of the Iron Curtain – discusses what motivated him to research the Pan-European Picnic of 1989; why he places such an emphasis on the uncertainty of the situation in those crucial days; and what conclusions he has drawn regarding the meaning of freedom in 1989 – and how that meaning has changed since.
5.02.2024
The old is dead and a new has been born: Welcome the Hindu Rashtra
On 22 January, the Hindu Right in India, with Modi at its helm, inaugurated a temple in the holy city of Ayodhya on a site where less than 22 years ago, a Mosque stood. This Mosque, known as the Babri Masjid, was destroyed by a violent Hindu nationalist mob on December 6, 1992. It was approximate 500 years old and was stated to have been constructed on a piece of land where previously a Hindu temple stood. This temple, Hindu Nationalists claim, marked the birthplace of Lord Rama, one of the most prominent gods in the Hindu pantheon. For this reason, the construction of the new temple is being seen by those in the Hindu Right as the return of Ram and as the inauguration of a new phase of Indian history – one of the Ram Rajya (Reign of Ram).
30.01.2024
Book Reviews
To Do Art, Politics, Critique, and Theory at the Same Time
In this conversation with RevDem editor Ferenc Laczó, Viet Thanh Nguyen – author of the new book A Man of Two Faces. A Memoir, A History, A Memorial – reflects on the ambiguities and contradictions of growing up Vietnamese-American in the aftermath of what is called the Vietnam War in the US; explains what motivated him to seek a new balance between remembering and forgetting in his new book; shares his ethical considerations regarding the revelation of secrets; shows why self-representation is not enough; and discusses how his dialectic Marxism wavers between Groucho and Karl.
25.01.2024
Podcasts
Ukraine – An Exceptional or a Paradigmatic Case? Volodymyr Ishchenko on Deficient Revolutions and Authoritarian Tendencies
In this conversation with Lorena Drakula and Ferenc Laczó, Volodymyr Ishchenko – author of the new collection, Towards the Abyss: Ukraine from Maidan to War – explains how the study of contemporary Ukraine could contribute to our understanding of globally relevant processes. He reflects on the main political cleavage in the country and how the relationship between the various camps has evolved; and shows what led to the “deficient revolutions” in early 21st-century Ukraine and what have been their main outcomes. Finally, he discusses what he sees as the driving force behind the authoritarian tendencies in the country. Volodymyr Ishchenko is a research associate at the Institute of East European Studies, Freie Universität Berlin. Towards the Abyss: Ukraine from Maidan to War is published by Verso.
17.01.2024
Book Reviews
Five Ideas Books in 2023 (Plus Another Five) – by Ferenc Laczó
Ideas editors and podcasters have been invited to a continuous feast in 2023: the year has offered an unusual number of original publications of the highest caliber. Natasha Wheatley’s The Life and Death of States: Central Europe and the Transformation of Modern Sovereignty, the Vienna-based discussion of which we were proud to co-organize; Sam Moyn’s Liberalism Against Itself. Cold War Intellectuals and the Making of Our Times that substantially critiques the dominant form Western liberalism has taken; Danielle Allen’s exciting proposal of a power-sharing liberalism; George Steinmetz’s major monograph on the colonial origins of modern social thought in France; or Adam Shatz’s collection of essays on the radical imagination have all been evident highlights. Here comes an all too selective list of five recommendations from RevDem Ideas of books that deserve to be more widely read and discussed. Darrin M. McMahon’s new book offers a wide-ranging and beautifully crafted intellectual [...]
21.12.2023
Book Reviews
5 best books in Democracy and Culture – Kasia Krzyżanowska, RevDem editor of the Review of Books section, recommends five books read in 2023.
Kasia Krzyżanowska, RevDem editor of the Review of Books section, recommends five books read in 2023.
20.12.2023
Book Reviews
RevDem Top 5 Rule of Law Books of 2023 -Recommended by Oliver Garner, editor RevDem Rule of Law section
By the end of each year our editors recommend outstanding readings in their field. This is the list of the top five books recommended in the rule of law section.
19.12.2023
Podcasts
For Money Laundering To Occur, All That Authorities Have To Do Is Nothing
In this conversation with RevDem editor Robert Nemeth, Dean Starkman and Neil Weinberg (International Consortium of Investigative Journalists) talk about Cyprus Confidential, the investigation exposing how Cyprus-based financial services firms have enabled the Russian elite — including Vladimir Putin’s inner circle — to shelter their wealth and shield billions of dollars in assets from the threat of impending sanctions. They explain how this system worked and what enabled it, but also share insights into how journalists work on cross-border collaborative projects on such scale.
15.12.2023
News
The Voice and Representative Democracy in Australia
Australian citizens recently rejected a constitutional amendment which aimed to provide indigenous Australians with formal constitutional recognition. The proposed amendment was intended to create the Voice, a representative body within parliament comprised of Indigenous Australians, to give advisory opinions on the impact of laws on the Indigenous community.
13.12.2023
Podcasts
Who Will Define the International Order of the 21st Century? – John M. Owen IV on Liberal Democracies in Our Fragile World
In this conversation with RevDem editor Ferenc Laczó, John M. Owen IV – author of the new book The Ecology of Nations. American Democracy in a Fragile World Order – explains what he means by co-evolution and the regime-power dilemma; shows how authoritarian rivals, such as China and Russia, have attempted to engineer their ecosystems; discusses the three historical ages of liberalism and what might replace the currently dominant form of open liberalism; and reflects on what the emergence of two rather separate but partly overlapping international ecosystems might imply for the future.
11.12.2023
Interviews
Democracy cannot really function if it is not liberal. Interview with Cas Mudde
Among the challengers to liberal democracy in Europe, we can count populists, autocrats, and the increasingly often mentioned illiberals. But who are they and what is illiberalism? How does it relate to populism? Can illiberals be democrats at all? What are the policy implications of having illiberal politicians, especially of the radical right, in power in the EU? This interview explores these questions with Professor Cas Mudde. It covers various issues at the intersection of academic and policy research on populism, illiberalism, democracy, and the radical right. It discusses whether the growing body of literature on illiberalism addresses something that is fundamentally new on the global political agenda, how this literature relates to academic research on populism, and if illiberalism and democracy are reconcilable against the backdrop of a global trend of autocratization, which many scholars of democracy have noted, and which is often attributed to illiberal and populist [...]
8.12.2023
Podcasts
To Free Everybody Through Inclusion – Leila Farsakh on Settler Colonial Violence and the Palestinian Path to Emancipation
In this conversation with RevDem editor Ferenc Laczó, Leila Farsakh explains what has been truly novel and devastating about the conflict in Palestine and Israel this fall; discusses how the Israeli occupation has evolved in recent decades and what major consequences that has had; clarifies why she pleads for prioritizing citizenship rights for Palestinians over the partition paradigm of the last century; reflects on how Palestinian voices and the Palestinian struggle have acquired greater resonance in the United States; and sketches how a resolution based on equality might be achieved.
7.12.2023
Book Reviews
We Need the Second European Rescue of the Nation-State
This is a rejoinder that ends the RevDem book symposium. You can read three book reviews by Peter J. Verovšek, Gábor Halmai and Petr Agha.
6.12.2023
Podcasts
Central and Eastern Europe after the Polish Elections: In Conversation with Daniel Hegedüs
Despite the Polish opposition election victory in the 15 October elections on 27 November President Duda swore in the Law and Justice Party ahead of a confidence vote that the incumbents seem set inevitably to lose. In this latest Rule of Law podcast, Oliver Garner and Daniel Hegedüs discuss the implications of the election for Central and Eastern Europe. Daniel is a German Marshall Fund fellow with expertise in populism and democratic backsliding and the foreign affairs of the Visegrad countries.
4.12.2023
Book Reviews
The Swarm That Didn’t Sting the Bourgeoisie–Arthur Borriello and Anton Jäger Interpret the Populist Left
In The Populist Moment, Arthur Borriello and Anton Jäger analyze a political cycle, “the long 2010s,” when left populists – perhaps most notably Syriza in Greece, Podemos in Spain, Jean-Luc Mélenchon and his various formations in France, Corbynism in the UK, and Sanders’ movement in the US – made notable attempts to rethink and revive the left by adopting a populist identity. The core agendas of this concise, dense, and engaging book are to investigate the specific origins and broader causes of this “populist moment”; to describe and explain the ebb and flow of its major representatives; to assess the major strengths and weaknesses of left populists in more general terms; and to conjecture about where such attempts to revive the left might be headed next. Borriello and Jäger manage to deliver on this ambitious agenda by offering numerous insights and developing a coherent overall interpretation – even though this comes at the price of somewhat narrow empirical foci and concerns.
30.11.2023
Videos
Discussing the History of the Present with Andreas Rödder – A Special Panel at the Review of Democracy
Andreas Rödder’s recent 21.1. Eine kurze Geschichte der Gegenwart [21.1. A Brief History of the Present] (C.H. Beck, 2023) offers a fascinating historical analysis of our time. The book paints an impressive picture of how our greatly accelerated, globalized, and digitalized world has been made. The Review of Democracy hosted the session Discussing the History of the Present with Andreas Rödder on November 8 to examine key arguments in this new publication and reflect on issues of central significance in contemporary history. In this special panel, Prof. Rödder – who holds the chair for Modern and Contemporary History at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz – has been in conversation with four other leading contemporary historians, Camilo Erlichman (Assistant Professor at the Department of History, Maastricht University), Sonja Levsen (Professor for Modern and Contemporary History at the University of Tübingen), Michal Kopeček (Head of the Department for History of Ideas and [...]
29.11.2023
News
Take Back Control — Over Brexit Narrative
The book Taking Control: Sovereignty and Democracy After Brexit by Philip Cunliffe, George Hoare, Lee Jones, and Peter Ramsay seeks to put Brexit into the perspective of the ongoing crisis of political representation in Britain and offers the reforms to overcome it.
30.10.2023
News
Reimagining Europe: Confronting the Challenges of Integration and Disunion
Petr Agha reviews Stefan Auer’s European Disunion. Democracy, Sovereignty and the Politics of Emergency. This is the third piece in a book symposium. The first piece by Peter J. Verovšek you can read here, the second one by Gábor Halmai here. A rejoinder by Stefan Auer will be published in the course of the coming weeks. Petr Agha’s research and teaching focuses on some foundational issues and challenges in contemporary law and politics. Petr holds a PhD in Law and Criminology from the University of Antwerp. He also obtained degrees in law, philosophy and political sciences from the Queens University Belfast, Glasgow University and Masaryk University Brno. He is the editor of Human Rights between Law and Politics (Hart Publishing), Law, Politics and the Gender Binary (Routledge) and Velvet Capitalism (Routledge). Introduction The existing theories of European integration often fall short in providing a comprehensive explanation for the fragmentation of the European project. [...]
12.10.2023
News
The ‘Political and the ‘Legal’ Approach of the EU?
Gábor Halmai reviews Stefan Auer’s European Disunion. Democracy, Sovereignty and the Politics of Emergency.
22.09.2023
Podcasts
Bloodless Murder: Stefano Bottoni on How the Orbán Regime Was Made and What Hungary Has Become
In this conversation with RevDem editor Ferenc Laczó, Stefano Bottoni – author of the new Hungarian-language book A hatalom megszállottja. Orbán Viktor Magyarországa (Obsessed with Power. Viktor Orbán’s Hungary) – discusses how the current political system has been built up in Hungary and which theories might help us analyse this process; reflects on the Orbán regime’s sources of legitimacy and internal contradictions; and explores the changing relationship of the country to the European Union and to Putin’s Russia.
6.09.2023
News
Gregory Claeys on Utopianism and Democracy
In this public lecture, Gregory Claeys – Professor Emeritus of History – reviews the development of the anxious relationship between utopianism and democracy, touching on the fundamentally anti-political aspects of the utopian tradition, and the charge that the eternal search for near unanimity of opinion is fundamentally anti-democratic. The lecture examines the (mis)interpretation of utopia as "perfection", and the optimal role played by consent in utopian relationships. Finally, it asks whether we can achieve an environmental consensus in time to avert the catastrophic destruction of the planet, and what we can do in the absence of such a consensus.
21.07.2023
News
From democracy to authoritarian capitalism
In this op-ed, Gábor Scheiring explores the latest Freedom House Nations in Transit Report, its implications for Hungary, and how the report only reveals the tip of the iceberg of the democratic backsliding in Hungary.
16.06.2023
Book Reviews
Digital Fragmentation. Habermas on the New Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere
Markus Patberg reviews Jürgen Habermas’s new book Ein neuer Strukturwandel der Öffentlichkeit und die deliberative Politik [A New Structural Transformation of the Public Sphere and Deliberative Politics].
2.02.2023
News
Constitutional Democracy’s Civic and Social Dimensions. On the Czech Presidential Election
Jiří Přibáň comments the outcome of the recent presidential elections in the Czech Republic.
1.02.2023
Dictionary of Received Ideas (About Fascism)
Engaging with the difficult task of deconstructing firmly rooted myths, Corner’s main goal is to answer two questions: (1) How far does the affirmation of “many good things” done by Fascism corresponds to the historical reality?; and (2) Why do so many people today share a “permissive memory” of Fascism?
19.01.2023
News
Launch of CEU Democracy Institute Working Paper Series: Andreas Schedler – “Basic Democratic Trust”
The CEU DI Working Paper series has launched today. The first publication is “Basic Democratic Trust” by Andreas Schedler, Lead Researcher of the DI’s De- and Re-Democratization (DRD) Workgroup.
9.01.2023
Asking the wrong questions, the wrong way: Why replicating “national consultations” is an inadequate response to their success
Although national referenda have become a rare species in post-2010 Hungary, the use of another instrument of plebiscitarian democracy—non-binding informal polls called national consultations—has not only been serving as a legitimization tool of government policies, but it has also been adopted by an opposition movement as a mobilization technique. This article argues that the strategic adoption of populist democratic repertoires, along with their main procedural flaws, is a threat to democratic representation. There is a need to shift discussions toward how these processes can be improved.
19.12.2022
Informal Powers as a Barrier to EU Accession. Nino Tsereteli on Georgia’s EU Candidacy
In this podcast episode, Teodora Miljojkovic discusses with Nino Tsereteli the roadblocks to Georgia's accession to the European Union. Their discussion covers how the response from Georgian citizen’s differs from the response of the Georgian government; what reforms are needed in order for Georgia to get closer to the compliance with the Copenhagen criteria; how informal powers negatively impact Georgian governance and how they can be overcome; and if Nino Tsereteli believes the will in both Georgia and the EU remain for progress towards EU accession.
12.12.2022
Interviews
A Path to Democracy Without Destabilization: Joseph Wong Explains the Types of Development and the Patterns of Uneven Democratization in Modern Asia
In this conversation with RevDem editor Ferenc Laczó, Joseph Wong – co-author with Dan Slater of the new monograph "From Development to Democracy. The Transformations of Modern Asia" – discusses when and why regimes have chosen to democratize in modern Asia; how come types rather than levels of development have shaped countries' democratic prospects; why Singapore and China remain significantly less democratic than one might expect; and how studying the patterns of modern Asia can help us rethink democracy promotion today.
4.10.2022
A turning point of democracy?
To mark the International Day of Democracy, we present an op-ed by Wolfgang Merkel examining the state of democracy around the world.
15.09.2022
“In a way, the Turkish opposition is a huge success” Murat Somer on the political situation in Turkey
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has dominated Turkish Politics since 2002, but now the country finds itself in a massive economic crisis and the president has never been this unpopular. With elections to be held within a year, the long-oppressed opposition is therefore eyeing a historic opportunity to get rid of Erdoğan and his increasingly authoritarian regime. But what is the state of the Turkish opposition, and are they ready to seize the moment? Kasper Ly Netterstrøm talked about it with Professor Murat Somer from Koç University in Istanbul.
11.07.2022
Change of framing and the need for peace in Ukraine: A reply to Szulecki and Wig
Responding to critiques of their op-ed on why the war in Ukraine should not be discussed using the "democracy vs. autocracy" framework, authors Irina Domurath and Stefano Palestini further develop why orienting the discussion around Russia's abuse of international law could draw more international support and avoid escalation into a Third World War.
25.05.2022
The war in Ukraine is all about democracy vs dictatorship
A dictatorship has just brutally attacked its democratic neighbor. It’s not the first time in history that happens, but there are good reasons to see the war in Ukraine as the first one defining the conflict lines of this century.
9.04.2022
Ukraine: not a war about democracy
In this op-ed by Irina Domurath and Stefano Palestini, they discuss the war in Ukraine and why the West should leave behind the narrative that this is a "war of values."
25.03.2022
The Conference on the Future of Europe as a technopopulist experiment
Carlo Invernizzi Accetti and Federico Ottavio Reho in their op-ed for RevDem claim that political parties and other intermediary bodies are central for the democratization of the European Union.
22.03.2022
Crisis as a trigger for new ways of thinking about politics
A conversation with Cesare Cuttica, László Kontler, and Clara Maier concerning their recently released volume, "Crisis and Renewal in the History of European Political Thought."
16.03.2022
European support for democracy: stress-tests ahead in 2022
Ken Godfrey and Richard Youngs write about 5 issues on the horizon in 2022 that will test how far the EU really is committed to defending democratic values.
15.02.2022
An Open Letter in Defense of Democracy
We are publishing an open letter signed by key figures from the American political life.
3.11.2021
Stasavage: Democracy requires continuous effort (PODCAST AND LONG READ)
David Stasavage (New York University) in conversation with RevDem editor Ferenc Laczo (Maastricht University) about his recent book “The Decline and Rise of Democracy”, which presents the global history of democracies since ancient times.
23.04.2021
