How do soft authoritarian practices hollow out liberal democratic institutions and values? How is „autocratic legalism“ (Kim Lane Scheppele) put in place by various governments? How and why are academic freedom and freedom of press under attack? Can we entrust big tech corporations to guard against hate speech and incitements to violence? Which rhetoric and discourses are employed to undermine democratic processes?
This blog maps and analyses various facets of what we define as “soft authoritarianism” in today’s world. Curated by the Research Group Soft Authoritarianisms, it contributes to the debate on growing authoritarian tendencies around the world.
Offering a cross-disciplinary dialogue, it addresses various forms of challenges to liberal democracy and of active citizen engagement to protect and deepen democratic institutions in the face of the current backlash.
In light of the recent wave of arrests targeting politicians of the main opposition party CHP – including the prominent Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu – and the subsequent mass protests across the country, an intense debate has erupted in…
In light of the recent wave of arrests targeting politicians of the main opposition party CHP – including the prominent Mayor of Istanbul, Ekrem İmamoğlu – and the subsequent mass protests across the country, an intense debate has erupted in…
Angesichts der jüngsten Verhaftungswelle gegen Politikerinnen und Politiker der größten Oppositionspartei CHP einschließlich dem berühmten Oberbürgermeister Ekrem Imamoğlu und die darauffolgenden Massendemonstrationen im ganzen Land, wird in der Türkei die Frage, ob das Regime Erdoğans nun von einem kompetitiven in…
Angesichts der jüngsten Verhaftungswelle gegen Politikerinnen und Politiker der größten Oppositionspartei CHP einschließlich dem berühmten Oberbürgermeister Ekrem Imamoğlu und die darauffolgenden Massendemonstrationen im ganzen Land, wird in der Türkei die Frage, ob das Regime Erdoğans nun von einem kompetitiven in…
On October 2, Brazilians went to the ballots to vote for president, state governors, senators, as well as federal and state representatives. In the presidential race, the center-left-wing former president Lula da Silva from the Workers Party (PT) received 48%…
“Rome wasn’t build in a day” – and neither is a radical right-wing government like the one now forming in Italy following the elections held in September 2022. The result of the elections, while surely not unexpected, offers the opportunity…
Zum „sanften“ Autoritarismus in der Türkei. Die strategische und flexible Verflechtung von demokratischen und nicht-demokratischen Praktiken ist ein Charakterzug ‚sanfter‘ Formen autoritärer Regierung. Ein Verständnis von der Produktion von Affekten wie Apathie und Hoffnung in diesem Zusammenhang kann uns helfen, ihre…
There is an ongoing battle for cultural hegemony in France. Far-right ideologies are being normalized, their stigmatizing vocabulary thus not only gains public acceptance but also comes to shape the government’s agenda on minority rights. Two derogatory terms have gained…
