Vera Tika
Nicușor Dan’s narrow victory over far-right challenger George Simion on 18 May averted the election of Romania's first openly illiberal president. Yet Simion still managed to attract 46.4% of the vote. Vera Tika reveals how ideas born under the Iron Guard, refined under Nicolae Ceaușescu’s national-communism, and weaponised by TikTok, now dominate Romanian politics — and are testing Europe’s eastern frontier of democracy Read more
Iris B. Segers
Far-right politicians around the world have mastered the art of epistemic warfare, posing a serious threat to academic freedom. Iris B. Segers reflects on the challenges of feminist resistance to a bizarre political reality rife with lies Read more
James F. Downes
James F. Downes argues that the 2025 German election has upended decades of stability: the CDU’s rightward pivot and the AfD’s historic surge have left a fragmented parliament. With the SPD’s progressive coalition shattered, a shaky 'Grand Alliance' offers minimal respite. Germany’s turmoil threatens EU unity — and its own democratic foundations Read more
Mimi Mihăilescu
Elon Musk has endorsed Călin Georgescu as Romania's next president. But what happens when a tech billionaire and a far-right Romanian politician collide? A political firestorm. In a world where billionaires and populists are manipulating elections in the name of 'democracy', Mimi Mihăilescu shows how Musk has succeeded in weaponising Romania's sovereignty Read more
Ana Țăranu
Hard-right ‘TikTok messiah’ Călin Georgescu was leading the Romanian presidential race when suspected Russian intervention prompted the Constitutional Court to annul the elections. Ana Țăranu analyses how the annulment feeds into the Romanian far right's polarising worldview Read more
Camil Ungureanu
We often link denialism and opposition to environmental issues to far-right parties, yet this is an oversimplification. Camil Ungureanu, Marc Sanjaume-Calvet and Balsa Lubarda argue that some centre-right parties, by downplaying ecological concerns and framing ecology as 'the new communism', paved the way for far-right climate denialism. Read more
Mimi Mihăilescu
Far-right Romanian presidential candidate George Simion is not just running a campaign, he’s waging a meme war. In today’s digital age, argues Mimi Mihăilescu, the way politicians communicate with the public has fundamentally shifted – and internet memes are emerging as powerful weapons for shaping public perception and discourse. Read more
Antonio Campati
Antonio Campati, Martino Mazzoleni, and Andrea Scavo find, based on survey evidence, that Italians do not perceive an authoritarian risk in the far-right government led by Giorgia Meloni. However, they also discover a generational difference in attitudes towards democracy that may constitute concern for the future Read more
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