Opening Event of the Young International Scholars Research School (YISARES) 2022
“Soft Authoritarianism between Geopolitical Complexities and Everyday Practice”, University of Bremen
Over the last years a new style of governance has gained ground the world over. In countries like India, Hungary or Turkey democratically elected governments use political rhetoric and practices that gradually but systematically blur the lines between democratic and authoritarian rule. Measures to undermine media plurality and women’s rights, skewing electoral results, hijacking public institutions or courts by appointing party loyalists all belong to a soft authoritarian playbook that hollows out principles and processes of liberal democracy from within.
Russia’s war against Ukraine has not only exposed the militarism of a full-fledged authoritarianism, but has intensified geopolitical ruptures and realignments. This panel discussion will take these dynamics as a starting point to explore and situate soft authoritarian forms of governance anew: In which way has the war affected the strategic position of India, Hungary or Turkey? Do the new geopolitical complexities offer further opportunities for the tacit introduction of authoritarian legislation, the mobilization of hate speech and the militarization of public life? Or do increased tensions and risks on an international level rather slow down soft authoritarian transformations? And which transnational networks and relations between authoritarian and soft authoritarian governments can we observe?
Hier geht es zum Flyer.
Panelists:
Evren Balta (Özyeğin University)
Ranabir Samaddar (Calcutta Research Group)
Renata Uitz (Central European University)
Chair:
Shalini Randeria (Central European University & University of Bremen Excellence Chair)
Please register by sending an email to yisaresprotect me ?!uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de or join us via YouTube livestream http://tinyurl.com/yisares22
The Young International Scholars Autumn Research School is organized by the Research Group “Soft Authoritarianisms at the U Bremen Excellence Chair Prof. Dr. Shalini Randeria, the University of Bremen Research Project “Datenpolitiken und Autoritarismus: Digitale Verflechtungen und demokratische (Un-)Möglichkeiten”, the Research Training Group “Contradiction Studies” and the Collaborative Research Platform “Worlds of Contradiction” (WoC) at the University of Bremen. It is funded by the University of Bremen and WoC.
