The conference “Regime change towards authoritarianism”
For a long time, regime change studies focussed on the change from autocracy to a democratic “something else”. The change of a regime, thus, implied a certain teleology (automatic and linear direction towards democratic rule) and a certain normativity (direction towards something ‘better’).
Evidence from the Post-Cold-War development shows, however, that regime change has to be considered also in the opposite direction, namely from democratic to autocratic rule. But can we apply the same concepts, that had been elaborated in the previous decades for democratic transition and consolidation, for democratic erosion and autocratic backsliding?
This talk will discuss three critical questions: Can we identify sequences of democratic erosion? What are the mechanisms of the incrementaldismantling of democracy? And what role play external factors like autocracy promotion or diffusion for the process of regime change?
Departing from conceptual considerations, some empirical role models are presented (Venezuela and Hungary).
Practical Information
Speaker: Marianne Kneuer – University of Hildesheim
Place: Institut d’études européennes de l’ULB (Kant Room) – 39. ave Franklin Roosevelt
Date: February 11th
Time: 12:00 – 2:00 p.m.
Contact: ana.noppen@ulb.ac.be