Angelos Chryssogelos, Senior Lecturer, Politics and International Relations, School of Social Sciences, London Metropolitan University
Democratic backsliding is generally associated with populist parties in power. But is it conceivable that it appears when non-populists are in government as well? And if yes, under what conditions? This presentation examines the parameters of the partisan debate about democratic backsliding over the last decade in Greece and presents prima facie evidence of democratic backsliding since 2019. It argues that such trends under non-populist governments – what it calls ‘liberal illiberalism’ – are expected under a specific confluence of mutually reinforcing factors: a post-populist constellation in the party system, fragmentation of the opposition to a strong non-populist government, and a permissive international environment.
Meet our speaker and chair
Angelos Chryssogelos is a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations within the School of Social Sciences at London Metropolitan University.
Professor Vassilis Monastiriotis is Director of the LSE Centre for Research on Contemporary Greece and Cyprus - Hellenic Observatory, Professor in Political Economy and Eleftherios Venizelos Chair of Contemporary Greek Studies at the European Institute, LSE.
The Hellenic Observatory (@HO_LSE) is internationally recognised as a leading research centre on contemporary Greece and Cyprus. In 2024, it became the LSE Centre for Research on Contemporary Greece and Cyprus with a strategy to expand its research base within LSE and beyond. The Centre produces world-leading, non-partisan research, critically engaging with key issues and fostering debate among academics, policymakers, and the public. Its work spans academic research, knowledge exchange, and policy impact.
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