Illiberal Politics in Southeast Europe: How Ruling Elites Undermine Democracy

Illiberal Politics in Southeast Europe: How Ruling Elites Undermine Democracy
ISBN-10
1000460746
ISBN-13
9781000460742
Category
Political Science
Pages
240
Language
English
Published
2021-09-30
Publisher
Routledge
Authors
Damir Kapidžić, Věra Stojarová

Description

The world is increasingly becoming less democratic and this trend has not left Southeast Europe untouched. But instead of democratic breakdown what we are witnessing is a gradual decline and the rise of competitive authoritarian regimes. This book aims to give a country-by-country overview of how illiberal politics has led to a decline in democracy and the re-emergence of autocratic governance in Southeast Europe, more specifically in the Western Balkans. It defines illiberal politics as the everyday practices through which ruling parties undermine democratic institutions in order to remain in power. Individual chapters examine recent political developments and identify practices of illiberal politics that target electoral institutions, rule of law, media freedom, judicial independence, and enable political patronage, while several thematic chapters comparatively explore cross-regional patterns. This book addresses academics, policymakers, and practitioners with professional interest in Southeast Europe or democratic decline and is both timely and relevant as the European Union attempts to reengage with the countries of the Western Balkans. The chapters in this book were originally published as a special issue of Southeast European and Black Sea Studies.

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