Democratic Backsliding in Europe

Dr. Melani Barlai; Dr. Christina E. Griessler; PD Dr. Martin R. Herbers; Prof. Dr. Ellen Bos; Univ.-Prof. Dr. Peter Filzmaier; Mag. Dr. Christina Hainzl

doi:10.5771/9783748916031

Summary

Democracies across Europe are under pressure – primarily due to the gradual erosion of democratic norms, institutions, and procedures. This volume analyses the political causes, mechanisms, and consequences of democratic backsliding in 15 European countries, from Western Europe to the Western Balkans. In addition to country case studies, the volume provides comparative analyses that identify recurring patterns of democratic erosion. The contributions address institutional weakening, the rise of populist narratives, incomplete democratisation processes, and the strengthening of executive powers. Importantly, the diagnosis is only the first step: this volume also outlines concrete countermeasures at the national, European, and civil society levels.
With contributions by Elisabeth Alber | Melani Barlai | Ádám Bence Balázs | Angelos Chryssogelos | Peter Filzmaier | Christina E. Griessler | Florian Hartleb | Martin R. Herbers | Teele Holmberg | Daniela Ingruber | Christoph Konrath | Anna Krasteva | Petra Malfertheiner | Daniela-Maria Mariș | Matjaž Nahtigal | Katrin Praprotnik | Pavel Pšeja | Senada Šelo Šabić | Yannis Tsirbas | Ana Vučemilović-Grgić | Emilia Zankina | Edit Zgut-Przybylska

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Bibliographic data

Copyright year: 2025
ISBN-Print: 978-3-7560-0859-9
ISBN-Online: 978-3-7489-1603-1
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Series: Andrássy Studien zur Europaforschung
Volume: 31
Language: English
Pages: 390
Product type: Edited Book

1. Acknowledgements No access
Melani Barlai, Christina Eva Griessler, Martin Rolf Herbers
1. 1 Clarification of Concepts No access
2. 2 Structure of the Book - Case Studies on Democratic Backsliding in Europe No access
3. 3 Concluding remarks No access
4. Bibliography No access
Melani Barlai
1. Introduction No access
2. 1. Soft vs. Hard Democratic Backsliding No access
3. 1. 2.1 The Role of Legal Manipulation and Competitive Authoritarianism No access
  2. 2.2 Normative Erosion in Democratic Backsliding No access
  3. 2.3 Populism, Nationalism and Cultural Backlash in Backsliding No access
  4. 2.4 Judicial Reforms: Undermining Checks and Balances No access
  5. 2.5 Media Control: Silencing Independent Voices No access
  6. 2.6 Electoral Reforms: Engineering Structural Advantages No access
  7. 2.7 Nationalist Rhetoric: Legitimising Reform No access
4. 3. Exogenous and Endogenous Models of Backsliding No access
5. 4. Conclusion No access
6. Bibliography No access
Martin Rolf Herbers
1. 1 Introduction: The Rise (and possible Fall) of German Democracy No access
2. 1. 2.1 The Historical Evolution of Germany’s Political System No access
  2. 2.2 Fundamental Principles of the Basic Law: Human Dignity and Press Freedom No access
  3. 2.3 The Structure of the German Government No access
3. 1. 3.1 The Causa Wulff: A Case of Democratic Backsliding? No access
  2. 3.2 Executive Backsliding (Prevented): A Case of Rescue Torture No access
  3. 3.3 The Berlin Elections of 2021 No access
  4. 3.4 Summary: Can the System of Checks and Balances Prevail under Pressure? No access
4. 1. 4.1 Public Initiatives: The Bundeszentrale für Politische Bildung No access
  2. 4.2 Private Initiatives and Watchdog Organisations No access
  3. 4.3 Beyond Institutions: Strengthening Civil Society No access
5. 5 Conclusion and Outlook No access
6. Bibliography No access
Ádám Bence Balázs
1. 1 Introduction No access
2. 2 The EP Results and the Anticipated Elections No access
3. 1. 3.1 Presidential or parliamentary? A hybrid regime No access
  2. 3.2 The instrumentalisation of confusion No access
  3. 3.3 The electoral system No access
4. 1. 4.1 Practice vs. law: The president’s reserved domains No access
  2. 4.2 Cohabitations and the synchronisation of presidential and legislative elections No access
  3. 4.3 The dissolution of the parliament: A proper presidential power in question No access
5. 1. 5.1 Renaissance: A centrist party? No access
  2. 5.2 The Republican Front: An exhausted formula? No access
  3. 5.3 Elitism vs. populism No access
6. 6 Conclusions No access
7. Bibliography No access
Elisabeth Alber, Petra Malfertheiner Download chapter (PDF)
1. Theoretical framework: Classification and delimitation of the case study
2. The constitutional framework: plural and asymmetric
3. The political system: instable and polarised
4. The road to, and the catalysts for, Meloni’s nativist turn
5. The constitutional overhaul: Premierato and the reform of the judiciary
6. Regression in rights: social rights and the treatment of minorities
7. Regression in rights: press freedom
8. Concluding remarks
9. Bibliography
Christoph Konrath, Katrin Praprotnik
1. Introduction No access
2. 1 The development of the Austrian constitutional and political system No access
3. 2 The constitutional dimension No access
4. 3 The behavioral dimension No access
5. 4 The cultural dimension No access
6. 5 Summary and outlook No access
7. Bibliography No access
8. Appendix No access
Angelos Chryssogelos, Yannis Tsirbas
1. Introduction No access
2. Historical and institutional background in Greece after the restoration of Democracy No access
3. Political background in Greece: From populist coalition to anti-populist one-party rule No access
4. Indices: Measuring backsliding in Greece No access
5. 1. Wire-tapping scandal No access
  2. The Tempe train accident No access
6. Shrinking media pluralism No access
7. Discussion: A case of "liberal illiberalism"? No access
8. Conclusion No access
9. Bibliography No access
Pavel Pšeja
1. Introduction No access
2. 1. Effects of the political and electoral system No access
3. 2. Parties, partisanship, and issues of agenda-setting No access
4. 1. 3.1 The Constitutional Court as a guardian of democracy No access
  2. 3.2 Media landscape and its political controversies No access
5. 4. Is there a democratic backsliding? Pros and cons of assessing democratic backsliding as a real threat to the Czech democracy No access
6. 5. In conclusion: where are we now and where do we go next? No access
7. Bibliography No access
Florian Hartleb, Teele Holmberg
1. Introduction: Fear of Russian invasion and right-wing radical infiltration No access
2. 1. 1.1. Estonian identity, geopolitical orientation, economical identification No access
  2. 1.2. Challenges of Integrating the Russian-speaking Minority No access
  3. 1.3. Pro-Putin riots in Estonia No access
  4. 1.4. Strong pro-EU support as a platform for the radical rise No access
3. 1. 2.1. The divergence in the understanding of liberalism between Estonia and Europe No access
  2. 2.2. Populism under the liberal flag No access
4. 1. 3.1. EKRE's origins and evolution from Rahvaliit No access
  2. 3.2. The Rise of EKRE as a Right-Wing Extremist Party under the Helme Family’s Political Dynasty No access
  3. 3.3. EKRE’s role in the legislative initiatives in Estonian Government (2019–2021) No access
  4. 3.4. The rhetoric or narrative of EKREs politicians No access
  5. 3.5. The (anti-)Russian narrative No access
  6. 3.6. Manifestations of Misogyny in EKRE’s Rhetoric No access
5. 4. Estonia´s media landscape No access
6. 5. The Role of Revisionism No access
7. Conclusion No access
8. Bibliography No access
9. Sources No access
Melani Barlai
1. Introduction No access
2. 1 Hungary’s Path to the European Union No access
3. 2 The centralisation of Orbán’s personal power No access
4. 3 Orbán = Fidesz = State No access
5. 4 Politics and Development in Hungary Since 1989 No access
6. 5 Conclusion No access
7. Bibliography No access
Edit Zgut-Przybylska
1. 1. Electoral and party system No access
2. 1. Judicial overhaul No access
  2. 1.1 Parliament as a political instrument No access
  3. 1.2 Local governments No access
  4. 1.3 Electoral changes No access
  5. Attempts to “repolonize” the media No access
3. 2 Human rights restrictions and violations driven by religious influence and populism No access
4. 1. A difficult re-democratisation in the making No access
5. Bibliography No access
Matjaž Nahtigal
1. 1 Introduction No access
2. 2 Political, institutional, and social characteristics of the Slovenian system No access
3. 3 Economic neoliberalism and illiberal democracy: Causal links No access
4. 4 Individual but cumulative dismantling of independent institutions: The cases of the Slovenian Press Agency (STA), the public prosecution delegation, and the public television No access
5. 5 Conclusions No access
6. Bibliography No access
Anna Krasteva, Emilia Zankina
1. Introduction No access
2. From post-communism to post-democracy No access
3. Bulgaria’s political system – semi-consolidated democracy and cross-cutting political clashes No access
4. From endemic corruption to state capture No access
5. From degradation of the rule of law to the im/possibility of judicial reforms No access
6. From late emergence to mainstreaming of populism No access
7. Political Leadership and Democratic Backsliding No access
8. From crisis to crisis – multiplication and acceleration of political crises and symbolic battles between elites and citizens how to use them No access
9. Media – countering democratic backsliding or being part of it No access
10. Acts of citizenship countering democratic backsliding No access
11. Conclusion No access
12. Bibliography No access
Daniela-Maria Mariș
1. 1 Introduction No access
2. 2 Difficult Transition and First Steps Towards Democratisation No access
3. 3 EU Accession as a Democratisation Boost, Yet Falling Short in Democratic Consolidation No access
4. 1. The Judiciary – “All for Justice” No access
  2. Erosion of Democratic Norms and New Rhetoric No access
  3. Civil Society and NGOs as Watchdogs No access
  4. Media Under Pressure No access
  5. Continuity of Systemic Dysfunctionalities and Lack of Good Governance No access
  6. Elections as a Democratic Test No access
5. 5 Conclusion No access
6. Bibliography No access
Senada Šelo Šabić, Ana Vučemilović-Grgić
1. Introduction No access
2. The Croatian Political System: A Snapshot No access
3. A Democratisation Phase No access
4. The Road to the EU No access
5. Democratisation through Europeanisation No access
6. 1. Ombudsman No access
  2. State Attorney’s Office (DORH) No access
  3. Commission for the Prevention of Conflict of Interest No access
  4. Media Freedom No access
  5. Spaces of Democratic Resistance No access
  6. Civil Society as a Democratic Watchdog No access
  7. Political Opposition No access
  8. External Pressure and EU Influence No access
7. Conclusion No access
8. Bibliography No access
Christina Eva Griessler
1. 1. Regime types: In-between Democracies or Autocracies No access
2. 1. 2.1 Democratic transition in the Western Balkans No access
  2. 1. Horizontal accountability No access
    2. Vertical accountability No access
  3. 2.3 Analysis of the political and the policy level No access
3. 3. Summary and Outlook No access
4. Bibliography No access
Daniela Ingruber, Peter Filzmaier
1. 1 Introduction No access
2. 2 Fields of Doubt No access
3. 3 Persisting Challenges No access
4. 4 Lack of Trust, and Populism No access
5. 5 Gradual Backsliding No access
6. 6 The Role of Civil Society No access
7. 7 Conclusion No access
8. Bibliography No access
Melani Barlai, Christina Eva Griessler, Martin Rolf Herbers
1. 1. 1.1 Typological Differentiation: Soft vs. Hard Backsliding No access
  2. 1.2 Executive Aggrandisement and institutional degradation No access
  3. 1.3 Ideological drivers of backsliding No access
  4. 1.4 Autocratic legalism in practice No access
  5. 1.5 Patterns of countermeasures to democratic backsliding No access
  6. 1.6 The role of civil society as safeguard against democratic backsliding No access
2. Bibliography No access