In virtually all of the former communist Eastern Europe, authoritarian tendencies are now prevalent and genuine democratic conceptions are waning.
The war in Ukraine has brought to the forefront a huge issue that has occupied our societies for some time. This is the future of freedom and the restraint of the increased influence of the various authoritarian leaders who play an important role around us. What we see happening is an increase in attitudes that reinforce the concentration of power and the conflict between those forces that strengthen the concentration of power and those that weaken it.
According to an extremely interesting recent book by Moises Naim, The Revenge of Power, there are three characteristics that define the personality of authoritarian regimes. These are populism, polarization and post-truths (the three “P” – Populism, Polarization, Post-Truths).
These characteristics are summed up in the policies pursued by the authoritarian leaders of our time to undermine democratic principles and extend their powers. In fact, in systems of government that externally at least respect the democratic formulas. But at the same time, they are almost completely consolidating authoritarianism.
There are dozens of tricks used by authoritarian leaders to neutralize forces that seek to weaken or neutralize their embrace of power. In openly or covertly oppressive and violent ways, they succeed and survive in power, often leading to extremes (questioning neighbors’ borders, engaging in wars, undermining democratic institutions and processes).
What is really impressive is that about the same techniques are used by leaders in completely different parts of the world and at other times to approach and seize power but also to ensure its maintenance! Even the controversy with those who support the supremacy of democratic principles is similar in almost all parts of the world.
The future of democracy and the prospect of all of us living under conditions of freedom and respect for our individual rights will depend on the outcome to which this structural confrontation between the concentration and the weakening of powers will lead.
Whatever the reasoning behind the moves and strategies of the Russian president, it is certain that if his presence in power did not coincide with the tendency to rise to power in the countries of various authoritarian leaders (Erdogan, Trump, Orban, Xi, etc.) never we would end up in a war in Ukraine. And we would live in a safer and more rational world. Her fascinating book, also known for her other works, Anne Applebaum, The Twilight of Democracy, moves in the same direction.
Focusing her analysis on the euphoria and excitement that followed in the societies of Eastern Europe with the fall of communism, she describes with shock the frustration and awe that followed a little later with the strengthening of extremist perceptions and authoritarian purely anti-democratic attitudes and behaviors. Here we also see the opposite side of the prevailing trends in the conflict in Ukraine. Mainly in the territories of Kiev and Donbass and in Poland.
In virtually all of the former communist Eastern Europe, authoritarian tendencies are now prevalent and genuine democratic conceptions are waning. In such conditions scenarios of absolute conflict are favored. We saw them in the current war break in Ukraine. A lot of work is needed to secure the future of the Republic from all.
