Category: Authoritarianism

Global protest wave rattles governments, but can it advance democracy?

     

Whether the unprecedented wave of protests leads to sustainable democratic transitions depends in large part on the strategic sophistication of illiberal regimes and democratic actors, including the latter’s ability to… Read more »

Democracies on the verge of a nervous breakdown?

     

If there’s a word that sums up the current mood of the West’s high command, it’s this: despair. That’s the clearest and most alarming takeaway from discussions with the assorted… Read more »

China denounced as ‘enemy of democracy’ after defector’s meddling allegations

     

Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen’s ruling party denounced China as an “enemy of democracy” on Monday following fresh claims of Chinese interference in the island’s politics ahead of presidential and legislative… Read more »

Fresh hope for Ukraine on Maidan, Holodomor anniversaries?

     

Do new faces in politics in Ukraine, Moldova, Kazakhstan, and Slovakia mean real change, New Eastern Europe asks. ‘Is this part of a wider trend that indicates deeper social transformation’,… Read more »

Populist regimes ‘losing legitimacy’: New social contract can renew democracy

     

The new president of the European People’s Party on Thursday denounced Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban’s “illiberal” policies and said the status of Orban’s populist party within the influential group… Read more »

Democratic ideas resilient despite leadership void

     

  A number of recent reports paint a grim picture for the future of global democracy. According to watchdog Freedom House, 2018 marked the 13th consecutive year of decline in global… Read more »

Demystifying deepfakes: Tracking global disinformation narratives

     

  The top U.S. representative in Taiwan says Washington is working with it to combat efforts by Beijing to influence upcoming elections on the island, AP reports. The U.S. is… Read more »

Arab Spring 2.0?

     

Recent disturbances in Arab countries have not yet become as far-reaching as what ensued after a Tunisian fruit vendor immolated himself in protest nine years ago, but observers are already… Read more »

From Hanoi to Halifax: Lacking strategy to counter China

     

A months-long standoff between Vietnam and China in the South China Sea has finally drawn to a close. RAND’s Derek Grossman takes stock of how Hanoi’s “cooperation and struggle” strategy… Read more »

Countering ‘high-tech illiberalism’: Information pollution’s disturbing power

     

Online disinformation campaigns supported by fundamental changes in military and geopolitical strategies of major players such as Russia and China harden tribal factions and undermine the security of infrastructure systems in… Read more »