News from the AUTHLIB Consortium
December 2024
Dear Colleagues and Friends,
as the year is coming to a close, we would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your interest in exploring and addressing the challenges liberal democracies face in Europe today! Thank you for following our work as we seek to understand the various facets of illiberalism, authoritarianism, and populism. The challenges our democracies face are complex but we work hard to connect the dots.
Before the holidays roll in we are happy to share with you the latest updates on our work. Dive into the details of our quarterly report below, and stay tuned for our upcoming findings!
We wish you happy holidays and a joyful 2025!
Recent Highlights
In the past three months, the AUTHLIB (Neo-authoritarianisms in Europe and the Liberal Democratic Response) project has delved deeper into the intricate dynamics of illiberalism. From analyzing citizens’ attitudes and parties’ ideologies to mapping the transnational networks of illiberal actors, our interdisciplinary team has been busy uncovering the multifaceted challenges to liberal democracy. With data pouring in from surveys, experiments, and advanced text analysis, we are beginning to see the contours of illiberal trends across our seven key countries (Austria, Czechia, France, Hungary, Italy, Poland, and the United Kingdom). Our initial findings not only highlight the influence of political, emotional, and historical factors but also offer critical insights into how illiberalism shapes and is shaped by social, cultural, and geopolitical dynamics.
In our quarterly update, you can find fresh insights about our recent survey results and how AUTHLIB uses cutting-edge AI tools to decode illiberal rhetoric. You can also learn about our historians’ reflections on the deep roots of illiberalism—which you may also watch online on our YouTube channel—and our progress in developing interactive tools such as an ideological map of illiberalism, and collaborative efforts to foster deliberative dialogue through mini-publics. As the project unfolds in the coming year, we will continue to bring the pieces of the puzzle together, building a clearer picture of how illiberalism manifests itself and operates in Europe, and what this means for the future of democracy.
Events
All our public events are recorded and the videos are available on AUTHLIB’s YouTube channel.
Subscribe and sign up for notifications to not miss out!
Russia’s Illiberal Networks
AUTHLIB Panel Discussion
The successful transnationalization of illiberal networks has become a prominent feature of European and transatlantic politics. Over the past 15 years, the relationship between Russia and illiberal Western actors has grown deeper and more strategic. The Kremlin has leveraged these connections to amplify its influence, employing shared narratives and mutual-legitimation strategies to strengthen its position domestically and internationally.
This discussion explored how narratives originating from Russia are recontextualized and used for legitimation purposes in the political discourses of European countries focusing on the cases of Austria and Hungary.
Watch the discussion
The Transnationalization of the Illiberal Right
AUTHLIB Panel Discussion
The transnationalization of illiberal parties and social movements is increasingly evident in Europe. Not only do they develop transnational networks; their ideas are also spreading across borders thanks to the internet and social media platforms.
This discussion explored the mechanisms, channels and processes of the transnationalization of illiberal actors and highlighted the role of a set of key transnational players such as the Polish Ordo Iuris or the Hungarian Center for Fundamental Rights, the organizer of CPAC Hungary, a the central hub of transnational cooperation.
Watch the discussion
Comparing Illiberal Legacies and Ideological Morphologies
AUTHLIB Workshop
Liberal democracy faces a multitude of challenges: it is confronted by various forms of illiberalisms from across the political spectrum. Systematically exploring these different varieties, their appeal and their historical appearances is a crucial endeavor for crafting strategies for a liberal democratic response. This is precisely the goal of AUTHLIB.
This one-day workshop focused on identifying the historical background and contexts of illiberalism. It brought together leading historians from across Europe who shared insights into various forms of illiberal political projects in our continent’s history.
The presentations touching on examples from Austria, Czechia, France, and Hungary as well as comparative cases from Europe are now available to watch on AUTHLIB’s YouTube channel.
Watch the presentations
Austria Votes: Will the Cordon Sanitaire Hold?
AUTHLIB Panel Discussion
On September 29, Austria held possibly its most consequential federal elections in decades—for the country and for European politics. The radical-right Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ), twice a junior partner in coalition governments in the past two decades, led in the polls and won the election.
Our panel explored what social, economic, and political shifts led to this troubling scenario for Austria and Europe; whether the conservative Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) would agree to be the crucial coalition partner for the FPÖ; if Vienna might set a new direction in EU party politics with a right-wing government consisting of members of the European People’s Party and Patriots for Europe groups, under the leadership of the latter.
Watch the discussion
Publications
Austria: How Did Nationalism Involve Rejecting Its Own Nation?
In Austria, nationalism historically meant support for German unification, and thus, paradoxically, the rejection of an “Austrian nation.” The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) upheld this position after the Second World War. How did this ideology develop? Péter Techet (Institute for the Danube Region and Central Europe) explains on the AUTHLIB Blog.
Read more
Cross-Border Propaganda Networks
Dorka Takácsy‘s AUTHLIB Working Paper, “Cross-Border Propaganda Networks: Examining the Relationship Between the Russian and Hungarian Regimes”, examines the rather one-sided, cross-border information exchange between two autocratizing regimes, those of Russia and Hungary. It explores how these regimes utilize domestic propaganda and traditional media outlets to control the information space and sway public opinion. Shared enemy pictures, such as the demonization of the West and Ukraine, allow these regimes to take over narratives and stories from each other with minimal adaptation.
For a teaser, read Dorka Takácsy’s related article, “Illiberal Disinformation is No One-Way Street”, on the AUTHLIB Blog HERE.
Read more
Russia and central European illiberal actors: Mutual legitimation amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine
Franziska Wagner (Central European University, Austria; CEU Democracy Institute, Hungary), Liliia Sablina (Central European University, Austria), and Bálint Mikola (CEU Democracy Institute, Hungary) published an article titled “Russia and central European illiberal actors: mutual legitimation amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine” in East European Politics. The article benefitted from research conducted in the framework of AUTHLIB.
ABSTRACT
Over the past 15 years, the relationship between illiberal European actors and Russia has become increasingly intertwined. Russia has cultivated these relationships, viewing illiberal actors as a means of influencing Europe. Despite the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which could have been considered a critical juncture, some European parties and politicians did not sever their connections with Russia. This paper addresses this conundrum, focusing on how illiberal Central European actors, exemplified by the FPÖ and Hungary’s Fidesz, continue to reference Russia in their rhetoric, and how Russian state rhetoric, represented by state-controlled media, constructs its discourse on Hungary and Austria in response. Through a multi-method analysis, the paper argues that European illiberal parties and Russia engage in mutual legitimation strategies, leveraging shared narratives to bolster their positions domestically and internationally. The paper identifies common argumentative frames used by illiberal actors, highlighting the intertwined nature of their legitimation strategies.
Read more
The project “AUTHLIB – Neo-Authoritarianisms in Europe and the Liberal Democratic Response” is funded by the European Union and the UK Research and Innovation. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or UK Research and Innovation. Neither the European Union nor the UK Research and Innovation can be held responsible for them.
