Matthijs Bogaards
Can we see autocracy more clearly if we see it as the opposite of democracy? Or do we need to look at autocracy as a category in its own right? Matthijs Bogaards provides an answer through a critical examination of the concept of defective autocracy, the mirror of defective democracy. Read more
Martin Bull
The Italian Five Star Movement has undergone a formidable split, with former leader Luigi di Maio walking out with 60 parliamentarians and forming a new party. This, and declining popularity in opinion polls, marks the twilight of Five Star’s decade-long success – and possibly the end of populist politics in Italy, writes Martin Bull Read more
Christoph Arndt
Recent European elections have revealed that voters are increasingly polarised on environmental protectionism. Christoph Arndt, Daphne Halikiopoulou and Christos Vrakopoulos contend that local opposition to climate change measures is reinforcing a centre-periphery cleavage in Western Europe Read more
Ruairidh Brown
The first obstacle in holding an Independence Referendum is assuring its legitimacy. To do so, says Ruairidh Brown, the SNP-Green alliance have implied the UK Government has no moral authority to deny Scots a choice on their future Read more
Ian Budge
The Russian invasion of Ukraine has reduced media coverage of the political violence and turmoil elsewhere in the world caused by climate change, as well as causing a retreat on climate change policy targets by richer democracies. Ian Budge highlights what needs to be done and how Read more
Stefano Braghiroli
Stefano Braghiroli and Andrey Makarychev chart a change in the Estonian National Conservative Party (EKRE). Lately, it has appealed for the first time to Russian-speaking minorities – an attempt at a similar process to the League’s transformation into a national party in Italy. Unlike the Lega, though, they face the obstacle of the Russian invasion of Ukraine Read more
Maria Gloria Polimeno
EU independence from Russia's fossil fuels is predicated on a defence of democratic principles. Yet, argues Maria Gloria Polimeno, a moral contradiction in policy is emerging as EU member states seeks other suppliers. This highlights the need for a sustainable green transition in EU energy supplies Read more
Felipe Arocena
The internet has not, as many hoped, delivered positive change for democracy. But according to Felipe Arocena, there is still a meaningful way to confront the authoritarian advances of new technological powers and reinforce democracy – rebellion Read more
