About: Authoritarianism
Turkish rights defender Kavala re-arrested after acquittal
Turkey's civil society swung from hope to despair Tuesday (18 February) after counter-terror police detained leading rights defender Osman Kavala just hours after a court ordered his release from jail.
Supreme Ruler Putin? Kremlin non-committal on proposed new job description
The Kremlin said on Wednesday (29 January) that President Vladimir Putin had no view on a proposal that would see his job description change to Supreme Ruler from head of state after a government commission said it was considering the idea.
Putin calls liberalism ‘obsolete’, Tusk offers strong rebuttal
EU President Donald Tusk on Friday (28 June) lashed out at his Russian counterpart in unusually undiplomatic language, saying he "strongly disagreed" with Vladimir Putin when he said liberalism was "obsolete."
Meeting of the minds as Trump receives Orban
US President Donald Trump on Monday (13 May) praised Hungary’s hardline authoritarian Viktor Orbán as a leader respected throughout Europe who kept his country safe with his crackdown on immigration. “Viktor Orbán has done a tremendous job in so many...
How to rectify Georgia’s statehood
It is a well-known Georgian secret, that the billionaire Bidzina Ivanishvili runs the country’s affairs through his “Georgian dream” political party, police and judiciary and even some other political parties and most of the mass media, writes Nino Burjanadze.
Pressure builds in Belgrade, EU calls for dialogue with civil society
Thousands of anti-government protesters staged a rally outside President Aleksandar Vučić’s residence on Sunday (17 March) to press their demands for greater media freedom and free and fair elections, a day after they briefly broke into the state television building.
EU to open case against Poland over Supreme Court law
The European Commission will open a legal case against Poland to challenge a new law forcing the early retirement of some 40% of the country's Supreme Court judges, officials said yesterday (28 June), a move likely to develop into a formal lawsuit.
Erdogan wins presidential election, opposition yet to concede
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan won Turkey's presidential election on Sunday (24 June), the head of the country's electoral body said, overcoming the biggest electoral challenge to his rule in a decade and a half.
Orbán sworn in as PM for third time, eyes 20 more years in power
Fresh from a landslide election win in April, Hungary's combative premier Viktor Orbán was formally sworn in as prime minister Thursday (10 May), and hinted at designs on power until at least 2030.
Thousands protest in Armenian capital as Sargsyan approved as PM
Tens of thousands rallied in the Armenian capital on Tuesday (17 April) after ex-president Serzh Sargsyan was elected prime minister by the country’s parliament despite several days of protests, an AFP journalist reported from the scene. Opposition leader Nikol Pashinyan...
Macron and Merkel give last warning to Poland
French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel will support the Commission if it decides to trigger Article 7 against Warsaw next week, the two told a joint press conference at the end of a two-day EU summit on Friday (15 December).
Polish PM expects ‘nuclear’ article 7 to be triggered next Wednesday
Poland's new prime minister said on Thursday (14 December) that he expects the EU to impose unprecedented sanctions next week that could strip his government of its voting rights over its controversial court reforms.
Mugabe resigns, ending 37-year reign over Zimbabwe
Robert Mugabe resigned as Zimbabwe's president yesterday (21 November), finally swept from power as his 37-year reign of autocratic control and brutality crumbled within days of a military takeover.
MEPs advocate suspending EU-Turkey accession talks
Europe is not closing the door to Turkey, but recent developments are prompting it to look for alternatives to Turkey’s accession to the EU, said MEPs in a debate with Enlargement Commissioner Johannes Hahn yesterday (26 April).
Ruling conservatives reconvene Polish parliament despite opposition blockade
Poland's parliament resumed proceedings after the winter recess on Wednesday (11 January) in defiance of an opposition blockade of the plenary hall, escalating a standoff that has raised fears for democracy in the European Union state.
Tusk rallies against ‘undermining of democracy’ in Poland as protests continue
European Council President Donald Tusk weighed in on Poland's political crisis on Saturday (17 December), urging the ruling party to respect the constitution, the voters and the democratic process, as two days of anti-government protests spread from Warsaw to two other cities.
Turkey slams EU vote as ‘most unjust in history’
Turkey's EU Affairs Minister, Ömer Çelik, on Tuesday (29 November) dismissed a European Parliament vote to freeze accession talks with Ankara as the "most unjust resolution in history" and urged solidarity instead.
Europe’s African challenge: Engage or lose influence
By European standards, last week’s elections in Congo-Brazzaville were not clean. This came as no surprise. Congo-Brazzaville has only had one genuine election, in 1992.