Authoritarianism Watch

Sub-sections

Europe’s Green New Deal

Do you remember the New Deal, when Franklin D. Roosevelt saved America by taking control, over 5 years, of its economy? Or maybe have you only heard about the Green New Deal? If neither of these rings a bell, you’re doubtless aware of the climate emergency in which we find ourselves, and the (…)

Saturday 26 January 2019

When there are no European parties to respond to citizens’ demands, you get populism

At the beginning of the second decade of the new millennium, with the spread of the economic and financial crisis all over the world, the idea that the difference between the left and the right had vanished influenced national political arenas. The truth is a bit different, however.

Wednesday 16 January 2019

The great realignment: Who will own the cosmopolitan side of the debate?

Many say that the great Western political conflict of the 21st century won’t be over economic redistribution, but between cosmopolitanism and nationalism, or between modern and “traditional” values. The argument goes that as voters have more food on the table, they start paying more attention to immaterial questions like same-sex marriage and refugee rights.

Saturday 12 January 2019

All you wanted to know about “good” lobbying but were afraid to ask

Although the word “lobbyist” may sound like an offense to many Europeans, the influence of lobbyists keeps increasing. At the same time, the structure of current democratic systems in the Western world is constantly being questioned. The Cambridge Dictionary describes lobbying as “the activity (…)

Thursday 10 January 2019

The British government reached a new stage in indecency: the “EU Settlement Scheme”

On 27 December, the UK Home Office released a video advertising the so-called EU Settlement Scheme. In short, if EU citizens currently living in the United Kingdom want to continue living in the country after Brexit (more precisely, after 31 December 2020), they must pay £65 to undergo an (…)

Friday 4 January 2019

Europe’s influential women of 2018

They are heads of government, MEPs or European Commissioners. Powerful and determined, their decisions have shaped the year 2018. Let’s take a look at five influential women in Europe this year. Theresa May It’s obvious that the British Prime Minister, Theresa May, had to be mentioned in (…)

Sunday 30 December 2018

Europe: The sick man of the Earth

During the development of the European states system, there was a time when Europe lived under the shadow of the Ottoman Empire. Led by ambitious Sultans, most famous being Suleiman the Magnificent, the Empire rammed heads with other European powers. Within its territory, it maintained a system of government that gave the Empire the ability to control the different groups of people that lived under its reign.

Thursday 20 December 2018

The questionable “democratic deficit” of the European Union

As long as we assume that representative democracy is based on elections, the European Union should be considered one, with the direct elections for European Parliament taking place every five years. However, this argument alone does not convince everyone. Indeed, the European Union has been criticised for its “democratic deficit” since 1979, the year when David Marquand used this expression for the first time. Mathis Porchez discusses the different criticisms of “democratic deficit” and explains why it’s questionable to level this criticism at the EU.

Wednesday 19 December 2018

How to leave the EU without making a mess of it (and why it’s still not worth it)

As Brexit is destroying the UK’s economy, national unity and international reputation, many have correctly pointed out that observing today’s British politics deters other countries from packing their bags and leaving the EU. If a former great power like the UK is imploding like this before it has even left, a smaller country should not even think about it, the reasoning goes.

Monday 17 December 2018

Mainstreaming sport: The post-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds

2018’s last European Council meeting is being held the 13th and 14th of December with priority topics including the single market, migration, external relations, fighting disinformation and the Union’s post-2020 budget. While the latter isn’t always the most appealing of topics, it is nonetheless worth taking a moment to consider what the upcoming Multiannual Financial Framework has the potential to change in the daily lives of Europeans.

Friday 14 December 2018

5 reasons why the expectations for Brexit were deluded, pt. 2

Brexit simply remains a mess. Treffpunkt Europa contributor Patrick Geneit had a closer look at theses brought up by Brexit defenders and made a list of his own.

Thursday 13 December 2018

Anti-Brexit protest intensifies as UK politics is heading for chaos

This week has seen a rapidly evolving and confusing flurry of Brexit news. First, the much-anticipated parliamentary vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal was postponedat the last minute as the Prime Minister understood that she was going to lose heavily. Then, Conservative MPs tabled a motion of no-confidence against Theresa May, triggering a vote on her leadership among the Conservative parliamentary group. Having won the vote by 200 votes to 117, Theresa May remains the party leader and Prime Minister.

Thursday 13 December 2018
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