Sort Articles

democratic backsliding

June 26, 2026

Why transitional justice fails without collapsing

Serena Fraiese Serena Fraiese argues that transitional justice rarely collapses in one dramatic moment. In Guatemala and Tunisia, formal courts and legal bodies remain in place, but political actors have gradually repurposed them from within. This process of 'captured justice' weakens accountability, shrinks civic space, and makes the pursuit of truth, justice, and reparations increasingly difficult Read more
June 18, 2026

🧭 From enlargement to belonging: redefining EU membership

Vera Tika Recent contributions to this series have shown how enlargement has returned to the centre of European geopolitics. Vera Tika argues that the emerging model of gradual accession is transforming the meaning of EU membership from a binary status separating insiders from outsiders into a continuum of differentiated participation Read more
May 12, 2026

Does political trust strengthen democracy?

Marta Kołczyńska Political trust can shape the trajectory of democracy writes Marta Kołczyńska, but its effects are conditional, uneven, and increases in trust may sometimes even be conducive to democratic decline rather than renewal Read more
May 5, 2026

⛓️ Universities: canaries in the authoritarian coalmine 

Jeremy Ko Populist governance poses a profound threat to universities, undermining the autonomy essential to knowledge production. Jeremy Ko and James F. Downes reveal how populist leaders invoking 'the people' against elites consistently reduce academic freedom – and right-wing variants accelerate the decline most sharply  Read more
April 30, 2026

🌊 The dark logic of visual strongman propaganda

Philipp Lutscher Philipp Lutscher, Jonas Bergan Dræge, Carl Henrik Knutsen and Karsten Donnay draw on three survey experiments across Venezuela, Turkey and the United States to show that visual strongman propaganda can deter opposition movements and mobilise supporters. Its effectiveness, however, depends on regime type and political context Read more
April 22, 2026

🌈 Anti-gender politics in Southwest Asia and North Africa

Susana Galán Theoretical frameworks dominating the study of anti-gender politics both enable and constrain our understanding of the phenomenon. Susana Galán and Tutku Ayhan argue that the existing frameworks are not helpful for studying anti-gender politics in the Southwest Asia and North Africa (SWANA) region. Here, the authors explain why, suggesting alternatives Read more
March 26, 2026

🎈 How opposition MPs survive in electoral autocracies

Annamária Sebestyén In countries experiencing democratic backsliding, opposition MPs must confront not only the crisis of political representation but also structural constraints that limit their influence. Drawing on research in Hungary, Annamária Sebestyén argues that in such circumstances opposition MPs develop innovative strategies to remain politically relevant, but these have clear limits Read more
March 10, 2026

🌈 Abortion law reform in Germany amid democratic backsliding

Lisa Brünig Germany recently passed incremental liberalisations to its abortion law. Yet access to abortion remains under threat, and far-right and conservative forces blocked its partial legalisation. Lisa Brünig explains how the erosion of reproductive rights in Germany is symptomatic of broader democratic backsliding Read more

The Loop

Cutting-edge analysis showcasing the work of the political science discipline at its best.
Read more
THE EUROPEAN CONSORTIUM FOR POLITICAL RESEARCH
Advancing Political Science
© 2026 European Consortium for Political Research. The ECPR is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) number 1167403 ECPR, Harbour House, 6-8 Hythe Quay, Colchester, CO2 8JF, United Kingdom.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram