Category: illiberalism

Democracies’ immune system against extremism is failing

     

Moral and cultural organisations must strive harder to rid the body politic of populist infection, in central Europe and elsewhere, says Tomáš Halík, a professor of sociology at Charles University in… Read more »

Three potent threats to liberal democracy

     

For much of the 20th century, the main threat to liberal and democratic societies came from militant and totalizing ideologies: fascism and communism, or revolutionary socialism, writes Will Marshall (left), President… Read more »

Protests ‘reveal desire for change’ in Nicaragua

     

Mass demonstrations in Nicaragua turned deadly when police opened fire on protesters, killing at least 25. The protests started on April 18 when the government sought to introduce social security… Read more »

Macron promotes ‘grand narratives’ for democratic renewal

     

Europe’s most dynamic political leader, Emmanuel Macron, pays a state visit to Washington this week. The French president has emerged as the West’s most formidable opponent of populist nationalism and… Read more »

What happened in Hungary?

     

The self-appointed champion of illiberalism, Prime Minister Viktor Orbán did much to engineer this week’s election result in Hungary. But as Réka Kinga Papp notes in her take on the… Read more »

Hungary’s election result ‘disproves resilience of democratic institutions’?

     

  Hungary’s ruling Fidesz party signalled on Monday it could push on with legislation to crack down on organisations promoting migrant rights as soon as parliament reconvenes after Prime Minister… Read more »

West needs ‘strategic confidence’ to confront revisionist powers

     

Lt. Gen. H.R. McMaster, in his last public remarks as national security adviser, strongly denounced Russia for its increased aggression around the world and declared: “We have failed to impose… Read more »

Hungary decaying into ‘Führer democracy’

     

This Sunday, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban is set to win another term in national elections, giving him a fresh mandate to advance his project of building what he calls… Read more »

Hungary slipping from ‘semi-authoritarian order to fully authoritarian’?

     

In Budapest 1, a parliamentary district at the heart of the Hungarian capital, most voters will not support the party of Viktor Orban, the country’s far-right prime minister, in a… Read more »

Existential risk to civil society in ‘skillfully veiled authoritarian’ Hungary

     

Hungary’s illiberal leader has built what Paul Lendvai in his new book, “Orbán,” calls a “skillfully veiled authoritarian system,” notes James Kirchick, a visiting fellow at the Center on the… Read more »