Prokop Válek
American conservatives revere the illiberal playbook of former Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Perhaps nowhere is this inspiration more visible than in education. Yet, says Prokop Válek, this battleground against 'the woke agenda' also reveals clear limits to transnational populist learning Read more
Hugo Bonin
Drawing on a systematic review of 2,401 scientific articles, Hugo Bonin shows how 'liberal democracy' has shifted from a contested analytical concept to a defensive catchphrase. The more the term circulates, the less scholars are examining it. But examining the term is crucial for how we think about democracy's future Read more
Aleh Baradzin
Aleh Baradzin examines why the families of political prisoners and political emigrants have become part of Belarus’s repressive system. Here, he reveals how the authorities use prisoners' families to exert pressure on political opponents Read more
David Pimenta
David Pimenta argues that the logic behind the 'broken windows' theory – that visible disorder encourages crime – is still with us. Today, however, it has been transformed and absorbed into contemporary illiberal populism, where cultural breakdown plays a central role in mobilising support and reshaping debates about authority and liberal democracy Read more
Paloma Caravantes González
To kickstart a new round of blogs in the Gendering Democracy series, Paloma Caravantes, Laura Eigenmann and Francesca Feo recap the discussion so far, explaining why we need to keep gender at the centre of research on the politics of our time – and where we should go next Read more
Rafaela Gonzalez Lucioni
EU enlargement, without credible enforcement of democratic standards, threatens the Union’s integrity. Cases like Hungary and Serbia expose the dangers of performative reforms and weak accountability. Rafaela Gonzalez Lucioni argues that to remain a values-based project, the EU must reform internal mechanisms and adopt a phased, conditional approach to accession Read more
Gabriela-Elena Plăpămaru
Amid rising illiberalism, Romanian democratic institutions face growing pressure. Gabriela Plăpămaru reveals how the traditional right tried to undermine Romania’s education sector — and how progressives responded with institutional resilience Read more
Tyyne Karjalainen
Hungary’s blocking behaviour risks derailing Ukraine’s fragile pro-European momentum. If not addressed, it could fuel Euroscepticism, embolden authoritarian spoilers, and hollow out the EU’s enlargement promise. Tyyne Karjalainen explores what options are on the table to restore credibility to the accession process Read more
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