Olga Vlasova
To sustain its war in Ukraine, the Russian army needs cannon fodder. Olga Vlasova explores a growing anti-migrant discourse in the Russian media today. She concludes that it is probably connected to the country’s need for a further round of conscription before the spring 2024 elections Read more
Raquel Santos Fernandes
The less democratic the political regime, the more asymmetrical gender relations become. Raquel Santos Fernandes terms this phenomenon ‘gendering de-democratisation’. Based on data from Turkey, she explains how the process increasingly excludes women, and limits their experiences of citizenship in politics, in the economy, and in their intimate lives Read more
Ariadna Ripoll Servent
The presence of populist governments in European Union policy-making has been largely ignored. Ariadna Ripoll Servent and Natascha Zaun argue that we should pay attention to populists’ behaviour in the Council of the EU. Populist governments do not play by the normal rules of the game; rather, they use ‘unpolitics’. This destructive approach to policy-making was instrumental in blocking a reform of EU migration politics Read more
Jesi Carson
Feminist and justice-oriented design frameworks offer pathways to democratic transformations. Jesi Carson draws on her experience as design practitioner and researcher in collaborative projects including Participedia and the Global Classroom for Democracy Innovation to explore the transformative potential of design thinking Read more
Gábor Halmai
Hungarian universities are facing increasing interference from government. The recent dismissal of Zoltán Ádám from Corvinus University in Budapest thus signals a worrying erosion of academic autonomy. For Gábor Halmai, Balázs Majtényi, and Andrew Richard Ryder, Ádám's dismissal reflects a pattern. They argue that a broader political agenda is threatening academic freedom, and raising questions about Hungary’s democratic integrity Read more
Ivo Kesler
Ivo Kesler argues that Romania’s emerging role as a strategic asset in Eastern Europe will be compromised if the far-right party AUR wins the next parliamentary elections. Romania's role as Moldova’s most important supporter and promoter could come to an end Read more
Barbara Pisciotta
Barbara Pisciotta and Daniela Verena Huber explore how populism fuels societal divisions and provides fertile ground for democratic backsliding. This allows populist leaders to increase their own power at the expense of the opposition Read more
Zohreh Khoban
To achieve systemic change, it is essential to connect self-transformations. By exploring the recent protests in Iran, Zohreh Khoban makes the case for social bonds created through solidarity Read more
