Category: Civil Society

Russia is guiding Europe’s illiberal turn

     

Russia is financing far-right political parties and critics of the European Union as part of a broader Kremlin strategy to sow disinformation and mistrust on the Continent, according to a… Read more »

Ethiopia crackdown highlights ‘downside of authoritarian development’

     

  Ethiopia‘s government has declared a six-month state of emergency in the face of an unprecedented wave of violent protests, the BBC reports: Activists in the country’s Oromia region has… Read more »

Beyond the Euromaidan: Will the West ever stand up to Putin?

     

Russian President Vladimir Putin is likely to expand the invasion of Ukraine in January, according to independent Russian military analyst Pavel Felgengauer. Such a development would retard Ukraine’s fitful reform… Read more »

Why is Russia simultaneously attacking and promoting civil society?

     

Russia’s government has declared groups like the National Endowment for Democracy and George Soros’ Open Society Foundation, to be undesirable and the regime has cracked down on the rights of… Read more »

Turkey’s 30-year coup

     

According to Turkey’s President, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, the recent attempted coup was not a legitimate sign of civic unrest, notes Dexter Filkins. In fact, it did not even originate in… Read more »

Vietnam moving to smother dissent

     

There are growing signs that Vietnam’s government is moving to smother dissent, as the one-party regime in recent days has labeled a pro-democracy group a terrorist organization, imprisoned a blogger… Read more »

Protecting fundamental freedoms in Morocco?

     

Morocco’s King Mohammed on Monday named moderate Islamist leader Abdelilah Benkirane as prime minister for a second term after his party won the most seats in last week’s election, Reuters… Read more »

Central Europe slipping away from democracy?

     

Civil society activists are expressing concern that Slovakia, which currently holds the Presidency of the European Union, is considering a draft amendment which calls for the mandatory registration of foreign… Read more »