Category: Democratic Backsliding

Political violence pushes Bangladesh close to ‘democratic collapse’

     

  Al Qaeda and Islamic State have both sought to gain a foothold in this predominantly Muslim nation of 160 million people, and experts worry that Bangladesh is ill equipped… Read more »

Egypt: the paradox of repression

     

  Egypt’s military has deployed forces to public landmarks ahead of a protest planned for Monday. At issue: President Abdel-Fattah el-Sisi’s agreement to relinquish two islands to Saudi Arabia, CNN reports:… Read more »

Why Congo’s new government is arresting the opposition

     

The Republic of Congo has issued an arrest warrant for a former rebel leader known as Pastor Ntumi, who’s being held responsible for a gun battle in the capital, Brazzaville,… Read more »

Islam and democracy after the Arab Spring

     

                       The authoritarian backlash in the Middle East, with the Arab Winter following the Arab Spring, is part of the… Read more »

How EU can confront the ‘Copenhagen dilemma’

     

  The European Union is founded on a set of common principles of democracy, the rule of law, and fundamental rights. But whereas candidate Member States are vetted for their… Read more »

Egypt’s hollowed-out civil society

     

Authoritarian regimes are, in general, averse to a strong civil society. Egypt is no exception, notes Gamal Eid (left), an Egyptian lawyer and the director of the Arabic Network for… Read more »

The Crooked Timber of Humanity & the ‘death’ of liberal democracy

     

  In Russia, and now in countries from Hungary to Poland, and in China, forms of authoritarianism are ascendant and liberalism (or even modest liberalization) are in retreat, Roger Cohen… Read more »

Authoritarianism Goes Global

     

  Over the past decade, illiberal powers have become emboldened and gained influence within the global arena. Leading authoritarian countries―including China, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and Venezuela―have developed new tools… Read more »

Nations in Transit: Europe & Eurasia – grim portrait of decline, small reasons for hope

     

While economic downturns are threatening the stability of the former Soviet Union’s “entrenched dictatorships,” the migration crisis is fueling populism in Eastern Europe, and reforms in the Balkans are in… Read more »

Egypt ‘significantly escalates’ civil society crackdown

     

Egypt expanded its crackdown on human rights organizations Tuesday, raiding a center that treats victims of violence and attempting to shut it down. This time, however, the government backed down,… Read more »