On January 14, 2026, the AUTHLIB consortium organized a closed-door policy discussion Mapping the Illiberal Challenge: Toward Strengthening Democratic Resilience in Europe in Brussels, hosted by the Transatlantic Foundation. Bringing together researchers, analysts, policymakers, EU stakeholders, and civil society representatives, the event served as a forum to reflect on the key findings of the Horizon-funded Neo-authoritarianism in Europe and the Liberal Democratic Response (AUTHLIB) project and their implications for democratic resilience across the European Union.
The discussion focused on how illiberal actors challenge liberal democracy from within the EU and explored policy responses at both the European and national levels. A keynote by Zsolt Enyedi (Central European University) outlined the varieties of illiberalism emerging across Europe, followed by two thematic sessions examining democratic vulnerabilities and possible responses.
The first session, Shrinking Spaces of Democracy and the European Response, focused on how illiberal actors challenge key pillars of liberal democracy, including media freedom and pluralism, civil society and civic activism, and gender equality and minority rights. Contributions by Konrad Bleyer-Simon (European University Institute), Dániel Hegedűs (Transatlantic Foundation), Mila Moshelova (Sofia University St. Kliment Ohridski), and Tineke Strik (GreenLeft) explored how democratic spaces are being constrained across Europe and reflected on possible EU-level tools and policy responses to strengthen democratic resilience and safeguard fundamental rights.
📒 The presentations built on a series of findings and recommendations published in the AUTHLIB Policy Paper Series, available HERE.
The second session, The Rise of Illiberals across Europe: A Comparative Look at EU Member States, examined how illiberal dynamics manifest differently across national contexts within the European Union. Petra Guasti (Charles University), Jan Rovny (Sciences Po), and Bálint Mikola (CEU Democracy Institute) presented comparative insights from Western and Central Europe, highlighting both common trends and country-specific vulnerabilities. The discussion focused on the political, institutional, and societal conditions that enable illiberal actors to gain influence, while also considering opportunities for strengthening democratic resilience at both national and European levels.
📒 The presentations built on a series of findings and recommendations published in the AUTHLIB Country Paper Series, available HERE.
The discussions were chaired by Zsuzsanna Végh (Transatlantic Foundation). The event formed part of AUTHLIB’s concluding dissemination activities and provided an opportunity for exchange between academic researchers and policy practitioners on the future of liberal democracy in Europe.
📷 A gallery with photos from the event is available HERE.
Photo credit: Transatlantic Foundation
