The Emerging Autocracies of Europe
Hungary and Poland’s shift toward authoritarianism may have implications for democracy in the region and beyond.
About This Event
Hungary and Poland are increasingly at odds with the European Union over threats to the rule of law and tightening state control, a European Commission report warned last year. With accelerated pandemic pressures and continued economic disarray, how can European democracy be protected from autocratic forces? A panel of experts joins the Council to examine recent political developments on the continent and their wider implications.
About the Speakers
Professor, Barnard College, Columbia University
Sheri Berman is an expert on European politics and political development, the left, fascism, populism, and democracy. Her latest book is Democracy and Dictatorship in Europe, and she is published widely in the New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Washington Post, Foreign Affairs, VOX, and The Guardian. She is on the boards of Dissent, The Journal of Democracy, Political Science Quarterly and Persuasion.
Research Director, Europe and Eurasia, Freedom House
Zselyke Csaky is the research director for Europe and Eurasia at Freedom House, where she works on "Nations in Transit" – an annual survey of democracy from Central Europe to Central Asia. Csaky has written extensively on democratic governance in Central Europe and the Balkans, and cohosts "In Between Europe," a podcast focusing on the region.
Founder, Krytyka Polityczna (Political Critique)
Sławomir Sierakowski is the founder and editor-in-chief of Krytyka Polityczna (The Political Critique) magazine and publishing house, serves as senior fellow at the German Council on Foreign Relations, and has been published in The New York Times, Financial Times, Foreign Policy, The Guardian, Die Zeit, Le Monde, Der Standard, among others.
Europe editor, Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
Rikard Jozwiak is the Europe editor for RFE/RL in Prague, focusing on coverage of the European Union and NATO. He previously worked as RFE/RL’s Brussels correspondent, covering numerous international summits, European elections, and international court rulings. He has reported from most European capitals, as well as Central Asia.