Authoritarianism Watch

The US Dollar and the Slow Death of American Hegemony

Since his inauguration, President Trump’s second term has consistently alienated the US’s allies, especially with its stances on the war in Ukraine and its hostile tariff policies. The Administration’s erratic behaviour has led to questions about the future of the US’s international standing, (…)

Monday 2 February 2026

How to Talk About European Unity: Lessons From Dealing With the AfD

In the German democratic, pro-European juste milieu, a common explanation for the rise of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) is the idea that their voters are like uneducated children: holding little-to-no political agency, falling for the most basic rhetoric, and voting on the basis of (…)

Wednesday 28 January 2026

We are not the only kind of we

Globalization, once steadily advancing, now appears to take a break or perhaps even reversed? The acknowledgement that humanity has, in many ways, lost itself in the very technologies it has created, reminds us that we need to confront the aspects of technology that obscure our true selves, (…)

Wednesday 22 October 2025

Authoritarianism Ascendant: Why is the Left losing the battle?

In the year 2025, we can make an assumption: the centre-right, and especially the far-right, is booming in all Western liberal democracies, such as Austria, Italy, Germany, the USA, and many more. All of these countries’ right-wing parties share common traits: nationalism, sympathy for (…)

Friday 13 June 2025

Arming Europe — And Abandoning It

The European Union was born from the trauma of war — to become its antidote. It expanded under the promise of peace, solidarity, and the rule of law: pillars that granted it, for decades, a moral authority unmatched in the global order. Today, that edifice trembles. The continent that once (…)

Saturday 31 May 2025

Europe in the shadows of the New American Empire Part III: The European response

The European Union could not be in a more precarious position as it faces a Trump administration that has reframed the transatlantic alliance into a tool of economic coercion. For decades, European security has been built on the foundation of U.S. military guarantees via NATO—allowing for (…)

Friday 11 April 2025

Europe in the shadows of the New American Empire Part II: Democracy Under Siege

This essay is the second part of a three-piece series for the Democracy Under Pressure week by Samuel Tammekann and Risto Rajala, analyzing the rise of a new American imperialism under Trump’s second administration, its ideological foundations, and the urgent need for a European response to (…)

Wednesday 9 April 2025

Europe in the shadows of the New American Empire Part I: The powers behind the throne

A three part series exploring the rise of American authoritirianism

Sunday 23 March 2025

Serbia: A Nation at a Crossroads

For months, Serbia has witnessed a surge of protests. What began as outrage over a tragic roof collapse in Novi Sad has evolved into a mass movement demanding government accountability, transparency, and democratic reforms. As student-led demonstrations intensify, the question remains: Can this (…)

Thursday 20 March 2025

Italy’s Security draft Bill is a dangerous attack on democratic freedoms

This Article is published in the context of JEF Europe’s Democracy Under Pressure (DUP) Action Week Italy’s proposed security bill 1236 is a grave assault on democratic freedoms. It sacrifices fundamental rights under the guise of maintaining public order. If enacted, the bill would severely (…)

Wednesday 19 March 2025

Romania’s Postponed Presidential Elections: A National Security Risk and Its Consequences for the EU and NATO

The annulment of Romania’s presidential elections has caused a stir in both the domestic and international political spheres. Călin Georgescu is the candidate at the heart of the controversy; his abrupt rise to power and subsequent exclusion raise significant questions regarding national (…)

Thursday 13 March 2025

Nationalism and Federalism: opposing views?

Editor’s note: In this article Yair Gorni intertwines Nationalism and Federalism by explaining the history of nationalism in Europe, a necessary prerequisite to any Federalist endeavor in Europe today and in the future. At the end of the 19th century, most of Europe was dominated by (…)

Tuesday 21 January 2025
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