by Hugo Barrillon | Nov 16, 2020 | University of Chicago
Incentives are everything. Since its founding in 1993, the European Union (EU) has understood this and become a master of soft power pressure and incentive-based democratic reforms. Indeed, as much as the European Union began as an economic union, it has taken on...
by James Chen | Oct 25, 2020 | University of Chicago
Earlier in 2020, while the pandemic dominated news headlines across the world, the NGO freedom house pushed out a silent but stunning report. One deeply alarming takeaway – there are now less democracies in the balkans than at any point since the report was...
by Samantha Gable | Oct 14, 2020 | Brown University
Hungary’s Prime Minister Viktor Orbán is no friend to open democracy as exemplified by his interference with the judicial branch, meddling in elections, and his latest authoritarian actions in response to Covid-19. He has not tried to conceal his efforts to...
by Cristen Canavino | May 6, 2020 | Georgia State University Perimeter College
For most people, it is virtually impossible to view the Coronavirus pandemic as anything but catastrophic, but for Hungary’s Prime Minister, Viktor Orban, the Coronavirus provides him with a unique opportunity to make an authoritarian power grab. From travel...
by Jeremy L | Apr 24, 2020 | Rollins College
With an unprecedented pandemic, decisions made by governments can lead to further democratic backsliding or open the door for increased democratic resilience. It is obvious that no democracy is perfect or reaches the standard of contestation and...