Author Archives: DemDigest

Cultural ‘retro backlash’ driving authoritarian populism

     

Cultural divisions and resentments are driving the rise of authoritarian populism across the Western world, according to a new book. Cultural backlash: Trump, Brexit, and authoritarian populism, by Pippa Norris… Read more »

The lost art of diplomacy for democracy

     

Diplomacy may be one of the world’s oldest professions, but it’s also one of the most misunderstood, says William J. Burns, President of the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace and… Read more »

‘Between hope and fear’? Ethiopia’s democratic breakthrough

     

One year after the inauguration of Abiy Ahmed as Prime Minister, Ethiopia continues to be the world’s most exciting democratic breakthrough. Since his appointment, Prime Minister Abiy has initiated a… Read more »

Will a comic actor become Ukraine’s next President?

     

It seems that, on March 31, Ukraine once again received a chance to accelerate its transformation, notes Brookings analyst Sergey Aleksashenko. Ukraine hosted the first round of presidential elections, with 39… Read more »

‘Egypt Under Pressure’: toward a personalist dictatorship

     

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi plans to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump in the White House on April 9, the Egyptian strongman’s second Oval Office visit in two years, the… Read more »

‘Textbook destabilization’: dissidents feel Beijing’s sharp power wrath abroad

     

China’s Communist authorities are employing repressive tactics honed at home to harass exiles and minority activists in the latest manifestation of Beijing’s sharp power. As China extends its influence around… Read more »

Targeted sanctions a critical tool against strategic adversaries

     

Targeted sanctions have been a critical tool for policy-makers, whether in countering a kleptocratic Kremlin or in upholding democracy in a post-Western order. Decision-makers have deployed sanctions against strategic adversaries and national security threats… Read more »

Advancing democracy: a comparative advantage in foreign policy

     

Authoritarian populist leaders may seek to undermine democratic institutions, but recent developments in Brazil, Hungary, Slovakia and Turkey provide encouragement that liberal political forces are showing some signs of life… Read more »

What next for the Rohingya? Fresh thinking needed to resolve crisis

     

The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, Yanghee Lee called for the Myanmar army chief to be prosecuted for “genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes”, CIVICUS… Read more »