Authoritarian rule around the world is consistently a danger to democracy, world peace, and many civil liberties and political rights.  Such civil liberties and political rights are often the foundation of a strong democracy. Such liberties and rights allow for social and economic growth.  With the recent invasion of Ukraine, democracy is suffering around Europe and such a reaction has led to democratic backsliding. Countries that have experienced backsliding have a pattern of being ex- Soviet states.  However, there are some European countries that have recognized that threat of backsliding. 

In an authoritarian regime whether it be through stealth authoritarianism or not, such rights and liberties are either nonexistent or very restricted. With the recent news surrounding the Ukraine- Russia war over the past year we have been able to closely see the forms of stealth authoritarianism Putin rules under. The defamation of political opponents, the lack of free speech, and the invasion of Ukraine have all put a stranglehold on basic liberties and rights. The democratic effects in Europe following the fall of the Soviet Union have been both positive and negative. One could argue that the positive effects have only come in fear of authoritarianism, rather than in favor of democracy. Countries that have gained freedom following the collapse of the USSR have struggled to maintain democracy. Some countries have maintained authoritarian rule, while others have struggled to maintain democracy. However, the war in Ukraine has had an interesting effect on democracy in Europe. Essentially, European governments must decide on Putin or to maintain and strengthen their democracy. A prime example of a country that has experienced backsliding and has a positive relationship with Putin and Russia is Hungary. Ever since the invasion of Ukraine, Orban and the Hungarian government has taken a stance which has insulted the Ukrainian government. Ukraine had the expectation that Hungary would be in support of their effort against Russia, however, that has not been the case. Orban seems as if he is not choosing a side, so that when the war effort is over, he can side with the winning country. However, he has not cut ties with Russia’s International Bank which has been a very questionable decision. Poland is another similar case to Hungary. Poland has experienced plenty of negative publicity and they have experienced drastic backsliding over the years. Poland has been a main supplier of supplies and has also been housing refugees. Poland has attempted to regain contact with the European Commision. The Ukraine issue has provided incentives for democratization as it has allowed for an increase in national security.  Constitutional retrogression is present in both of Poland and Hungary, but the stance taken on the Russian invasion of Ukraine has impacted both countries differently. While Hungary and Poland have experienced backsliding, Belarus is a country that has remained close allies with Russia while also maintaining an authoritarian regime. All 3 countries have benefited from the Russian invasion of Ukraine, which has led to a reaction in the Western part of the EU.

Moving away from Hungary and Poland, there are some European countries that see Russia’s invasion of Ukraine as a threat to international democracy and general safety. However, some believe it could allow for the international community to recognize the importance of democracy. However, there has been a rise in far – right politics in Europe. A prime example is the AFD in Germany. The rise of the AFD is the first time Germany has had a successful far – right party since the 1950’s. Freedom House acknowledges the steady decline of democracy over the past century. While democracy has struggled to stay afloat in many parts of the world, authoritarian regimes have become more powerful. In the Russian invasion of Ukraine, this is a prime example that authoritarian regimes are a danger to democracies. Authoritarian regimes tend to have considerate military strength, which allows for them to pose such a large threat. Along with the military threat authoritarian regimes pose, there is also a large threat to basic freedoms. Freedoms are a foundation of democracy. Many freedoms available in a democracy are not available in an authoritarian regime. Backsliding occurs when those freedoms are taken for granted or taken advantage of. However, authoritarian regimes are not fully to blame for backsliding. Reasons for backsliding include weak democratic regimes that lack accountability. Accountability has two parts for a democracy to be successful. Those two parts are horizontal and vertical accountability. Horizontal accountability is checks and balances and vertical accountability includes citizens, the media, and civil associations. When accountability in those areas begin to fail, elections, liberties, punishment, and answerability begin to fail. Backsliding can lead to the foundation of an authoritarian regime if it is not prevented in time. The strengths of authoritarian regimes provide an imminent danger to democracy. As does the rise in far – right parties such as the AFD. Their growing popularity should be of serious concern for the safety of democracy. From the general public’s perspective in the United States, many of us see Russia, China, and North Korea as the biggest global threats. All those regimes are not democratic. They are home to some of the strongest militaries in the world and some powerful economies in Russia and China. To the authoritarian regime, democracy is a threat. When we look back to East and West Germany, the Berlin Wall was in place essentially because of the threat the communist side posed to the democratic side and vice versa. The values of a democracy are a threat to an authoritarian regime because of the rights the people have available to them. The East German government did not want the East Germans to see the privileges and the rights made available to the West. Such attempts to block access to the outside world are still made today through surveillance, restriction of media, and a lack of rights. Democracies must maintain their freedoms and democratic values as backsliding is an authoritarian regime waiting to come to power. 

Citations

Remler, P. (2020, January 22). Russia at the United Nations: Law, sovereignty, and legitimacy. Carnegie Endowment for International Peace. https://carnegieendowment.org/2020/01/22/russia-at-united-nations-law-sovereignty-and-legitimacy-pub-80753

World Bank Open Data. (n.d.). World Bank Open Data. https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/NY.GDP.MKTP.CD?locations=RU

History, S. H. /. M. B. (2024, January 29). How Germany’s political stability may be fueling the rise of the far right. TIME. https://time.com/6336744/germany-afd-far-right-consensus/