Autocratization in Post-Communist Democracies

The Architecture of Strategic Authoritarian Rule in Hungary and North Macedonia
Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-3-032-14113-2
Verlag: Springer

Buch, Englisch, 376 Seiten, Format (B × H): 153 mm x 216 mm, Gewicht: 589 g

Reihe: New Perspectives on South-East Europe

This book explains how democracy unravels from within. It develops a clear conceptual and comparative framework to trace autocratization, understood as the process through which elected leaders weaken checks and balances, neutralize opposition, and entrench dominant-party control while keeping democratic institutions formally intact. Through a detailed comparison of Hungary and Macedonia, the book shows how right-wing populist leaders combined nationalism and grievance politics to justify institutional manipulation and the creation of informal networks of control. These networks gradually fused into a single pyramid of power, subordinating courts, media, and business sectors to the ruling elite. While Hungary consolidated competitive authoritarian rule, Macedonia’s regime collapsed, exposing the fragility of such systems but without achieving decisive redemocratization. Applying its framework to Serbia, Poland, the United States, India, and Turkey, the book offers a broader and empirically grounded understanding of how modern autocratization reshapes democratic institutions, trajectories, and norms across diverse political contexts.

Zielgruppe

Research

Autoren/Hrsg.

Vangelov, Ognen

Fachgebiete

• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Verwaltungswissenschaft, Öffentliche Verwaltung
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Vergleichende Politikwissenschaft
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politische Systeme Zentralregierung
• Sozialwissenschaften Politikwissenschaft Politikwissenschaft Allgemein

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Chapter 1: Unveiling Autocratization.- Chapter 2: Hungary and North Macedonia in Focus.- Chapter 3: Nationalisms Primordial Turn From Unifying Force to Weapon of Power.- Chapter 4: The Autocrats Toolbox Unveiling the Mechanisms of Autocratization.- Chapter 5: Justice Shackled The Incumbents Grip on the Scales.- Chapter 6: Tightening the Grip How Power Entrenches Itself in Society and Business.- Chapter 7: Will Democracy Flourish The Uncertain Future of Re-Democratization.

Über Autor(innen)

Ognen Vangelov is Associate Professor at the University American College Skopje, North Macedonia, and Research Fellow at Queen’s University, Canada. He specializes in the study of autocratization, nationalism, and power sharing in divided societies. His work has appeared in Europe-Asia Studies, Political Science Quarterly, and policy outlets such as Foreign Affairs and Freedom House’s Nations in Transit.