The European Union's authoritarian equilibrium

While the European Union (EU) professes a commitment to liberal democracy, in recent years it has allowed some member governments to backslide toward competitive authoritarianism. The EU has become trapped in an 'authoritarian equilibrium' underpinned by three factors. First, the EU's...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inJournal of European public policy Vol. 27; no. 3; pp. 481 - 499
Main Author Kelemen, R. Daniel
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published London Routledge 03.03.2020
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Authoritarianism
Autocracy
Citizens
democratic backsliding
Domestic politics
Equilibrium
European Union
Hungary
Intervention
Liberal democracy
Political parties
Remittances
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Summary:While the European Union (EU) professes a commitment to liberal democracy, in recent years it has allowed some member governments to backslide toward competitive authoritarianism. The EU has become trapped in an 'authoritarian equilibrium' underpinned by three factors. First, the EU's half-baked system of party politics and its ingrained reluctance to interfere in the domestic politics of its member states help shield national autocrats from EU intervention. Second, funding and investment from the EU helps sustain these regimes. Third, the free movement of persons in the EU facilitates the exit of dissatisfied citizens, which depletes the opposition and generates remittances, thereby helping these regimes endure. While more fully developed democratic federations have the capacity to eventually steer autocratic member states back toward democracy, the EU appears to be stuck in an autocracy trap.
ISSN:1350-1763
1466-4429
DOI:10.1080/13501763.2020.1712455