Threats to democracy: measures taken by right–wing populist regimes during the Covid19 crisis in Eastern Europe

Abstract

Right-wing populist governments in Central and South-eastern Europe are currently abusing the emergency caused by the pandemic in order to extend their power and influence over institutions through legislative changes. The governments in Poland, Serbia, Slovenia and Hungary have raised fears by their measures to either establish authoritarian regimes and/or to reassert their grip on power during the Covid19 crisis. This text is intended to give an insight into the measures of the ruling right-wing populist parties (PiS in Poland, SNS in Serbia, SDS in Slovenia and Fidesz in Hungary) during the pandemic. On the one hand, the article intends to show that the individual governments have misused the crisis to bring independent and/or state media under their control, to conclude corrupt deals between the ruling party and government-related companies and to put pressure on other independent institutions (such as the judicial system) and the opposition. On the other hand, reactions by civil society organizations and the European Union shall be examined. The article shows that both, civil society and EU pressure is indispensable, particularly in times
of crisis, since shifts in power in favour of right-wing populist rulers happen swiftly and have negative long-term consequences for democracy.