Why Is Autocracy Thriving? – Interview with Anne Applebaum

Speakers:

• Anne Apllebaum, Pulitzer Prize winning historian, journalist
• Moderator: Pál Dániel Rényi, Jouranlist, 444.hu

Main takeaways:

• There is a network of autocratic states that are united not by ideology but by the desire to make and keep money and power. The leaders of these states reject democratic ideals such as accountability, transparency and the rule of law. They collaborate in areas such as financial investment, surveillance technology and military support to maintain their power and money without external scrutiny or internal democratic checks.
• The rise of autocratic cooperation accelerated after key events in Russia (the Ukrainian revolution in 2014) and China (the rise of Xi Jinping in 2013). The larger the dictatorship, the more aware it is that the power of human rights, accountability and the rule of law could be a threat to its power.
• Nowadays, democracies don't fail because of a coup, they fail because a democratically elected leader dismantles the democratic state by undermining democratic systems.
• The US election could affect this global autocratic trend, with Trump seen as unlikely to lead a democratic alliance or fight corruption, but potentially weakening support for Ukraine and democratic causes. Harris supposedly would be more supportive of democracy.
• Viktor Orbán's open support for Trump is quite unique - it jeopardises future relations with the US, and this is not usually done in the democratic world. While Orbán is sensitive about national sovereignty, he is involved in the US elections through think tanks and foundations in the US, intervened in the Slovak elections and played a role in the Polish elections.
• There are more than two sides, it is not just democracy versus dictatorship. Some countries play both sides, like Turkey or Hungary. And the question is: how long will a country that openly supports dictatorship and uses the kleptocratic and corrupt practices of the autocratic world be tolerated in the heart of Europe?

Recommendations:

• To stop kleptocracy, we need to make it harder to steal and hide money than it is now.
• It would be important to regulate the internet by giving people access to algorithms and control over their own data. Instead of having a conversation space dominated by a few people, we should create an internet that is more compatible with democracy.
• We need to think in terms of deterrence and be prepared to use force. These autocratic regimes are trying to change the language of human rights, to take them out of international treaties, and they are trying to use violence in the same way as they do at home.