Our blogs

Why Peter Pellegrini won the Slovak presidential election
9 April 2024
Lastic and Tim Haughton identify four factors that explain Pellegrini’s victory and assess what the result could mean for Slovak democracy.

Argentine democracy at a crossroads. This time feels different
27 March 2024
David Tucker delves into the intriguing challenges posed by Javier Milei’s presidency to the established democratic model in Argentina. 

The Return of Robert Fico
24 November 2023
Tim Haughton writes about the implications of the recent elections in Slovakia.

Accountability deficit: Why do citizens vote for corrupt politicians? (U4)
6 November 2023
Manoel Gehrke, Nic Cheeseman and Licia Cianetti write about the complexity of fighting corruption for U4, the Anti-Corruption Resource Centre

Why it matters how we talk about the 'global' autocratisation trend (The Loop)
26 October 2023
Licia Cianetti and Petra Alderman write for The Loop about the need to rethink the geography of autocratisation

Will Slovakia Change Direction (Again)?
13 September 2023
The prospect of Robert Fico returning to power after this month’s election could mean that Slovakia could change direction again.

Professor Cheeseman writes on coups in Africa for the BBC
08 August 2023
Prof Nic Cheeseman, has written for the BBC on the recent spate of coups in West Africa, asking what role France has played in the recent political instability.

Thailand’s Prospects for Democracy Blocked by the Junta-Appointed Senate
28 July 2023
A return to street politics and another mass movement campaign may once again be on the cards for Thailand’s government.

Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century
16 June 2023
Dr Petra Alderman reviews a new book by Sergei Guriev & Daniel Treisman

The rise of authoritarianism is misunderstood – and it matters
13 June 2023
With democracy in trouble, understanding the reason why could hardly be more important.