Human Rights and Democracy

Is The EU Promoting ‘Stabilitocracies’ In The Western Balkans?
EU inaction, stalled accessions, and government divergence from EU reform have created “stabilitocracies” in the Western Balkans. This poses a significant test for the EU’s role as a promoter of democracy in the region, says a recent report by the Netherlands’ Clingendael think-tank.

Pact For Pluralist Democracy Needed In Post-Erdogan Turkey
Amid deepening economic crisis, domestic and foreign policy disarray, and the decline of public support for Turkey’s strongman president, discussions on what a Turkey without Erdogan could/should look like are becoming more prevalent. Still, many experts agree that the end of Erdogan’s rule in and of itself wouldn’t usher in an era of democracy, especially without the opposition’s adoption of a pluralist approach.

Gülay Türkmen: “Islam Plays Ambivalent Role in Turkey’s Kurdish Conflict”
The secular identity, not subscribing to exclusionary secularism but a much more sensitive approach to religious claims, would be more inclusive and pluralist.

Resistance at Bogazici University Instils Hope for the Future
Students, academics, and communities’ resistance to the political appointment of an incapable rector at Turkey’s prestigious Bogazici University shows that there is still hope for Turkish academia, and the country at large, despite persistent government oppression.

Report: EU And US Should Restore Cooperation In Eastern And Southeastern Europe
A recent Carnegie Europe report argues that the EU and US should work to restore cooperation after years of distance under the Trump Administration. By doing so, they may better position themselves to promote democracy and rebuild influence in the face of disruptive actors such as Russia, China, and Turkey.

Aykan Erdemir: “Under Biden, US-Turkey relations will take on a more Institutional rather than Personal Character”
In the absence of President Trump’s personal relationship with President Erdogan, US-Turkey relations under the Biden administration will return to institutional avenues previously damaged by the actions of the Erdogan government.

Turkey’s Economic and Political Crises May Be Leaving the Young Behind
Worrying polls and statistics show that the Turkish government’s seemingly endless political rifts and the country’s deepening economic crises may result in the loss of a bright generation

A Tale of Two Populist Reactions to COVID-19 in Latin America
Espousing different political leanings (from right- to left-wing) and exhibiting varying degrees of intensity (whether rarely or frequently employing divisive rhetoric), at least five of Latin America’s current presidents can be seen as embodying the populist ideology.

Why would Support for Democracy Decline in the Middle East and North Africa?
Democracy’s image has taken a beating in the Middle East and North Africa as insecurity and socioeconomic woes forced publics across the region to prioritize stability over participatory politics, thereby facilitating authoritarian backsliding.