How populism went mainstream
There is a specter haunting not just Europe, but the whole globe, quaking the boots of established political parties, legacy media outlets, and transnational institutions of government and civil society…. Read more »
Category: Europe
As disinformation spreads, ‘microtargeting’ advertising tools may threaten democracy
As Facebook sought to recover from its disastrous 2016 election season, company officials debated ways to curb distortions and disinformation on the platform. One of the most potentially powerful… Read more »
Post-1989 structures need ‘remodeling, even democracy,’ says Walesa
Did Central Europe’s democratic forces defeat one form of authoritarianism, but fail to anticipate other threats to freedom? The post-Cold War disruption in job markets, economic inequities, and disputes over… Read more »
How global refugee crisis challenges democracies
Forced migration has reached unprecedented levels around the world. While unique migration crises’ geographic origins range from South America to the Middle East, each crisis shares a common root cause—the… Read more »
Can new social compact resolve tension between democratic recession and resilience?
The collapse of communism in Europe 30 years ago ended a broader social-democratic compact. Does the failure to refashion that compact explain varying degrees of democratic recession and resilience? NATO… Read more »
‘Underestimating democracy’ invites demagoguery, says Walesa
Authoritarians are resurgent because of the failure to create a new global system of democratic values, said former Solidarnosc leader and Polish president Lech Walesa. “Polish democracy in practical terms… Read more »
Despotic Data: Autocrats winning online fight of open vs. closed societies?
A critical differentiator between traditional media and social media is how ‘targetcasting‘ is available only to a specific audience. Such secret targeting tears at the fabric of democracy, says Tom Wheeler, a… Read more »
Baltic Road to Freedom: Rhetoric vs. realpolitik
As Soviet communism following the fall of the Berlin Wall, the experience of Baltic “freedom fighters” like Vytautas Landsbergis of Lithuania and Lennart Meri of Estonia demonstrated the “almost unbridgeable… Read more »
Communism’s Shadow: How post-1989 liberal dream became illiberal nightmare
Central and Eastern Europe’s transition to democracy has not been smooth. But there are grounds for hope, notes Alison Smale. What would Vaclav Havel have made of post-1989 developments? she asked… Read more »
Countering Truth Decay: Digital tech leaves democracy in ‘permanent flux’
Hillary Clinton says she’s “dumbfounded” that the U.K. government has failed to release a report on Russian influence in British politics before the country holds a national election next month…. Read more »