Autocratization of Parliamentary Democracies: the Case of Hungary and Macedonia
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Authors
Vangelov, Ognen
Date
Type
thesis
Language
eng
Keyword
autocratization , primordializing nationalism , competitive authoritarianism , parliamentary democracies , Hungary , Macedonia
Alternative Title
Abstract
In the last decade, the democratic failure that appeared in parliamentary democracies in parts of post-communist Europe defies earlier expectations about democratic consolidation in that region. This doctoral dissertation develops an explanation for the question of why and how some new parliamentary democracies regress into authoritarianism. It analyzes the autocratization of two countries in Central and Eastern Europe, Hungary and Macedonia, that had previously been cited as “success stories” in their respective sub-regions. The question is addressed through a structured comparative analysis of post-communist political development in Hungary and Macedonia. The main argument developed in this study is two-fold. First, the analysis explains the way in which a democratic parliamentary system can transform itself into a particular form of authoritarianism—competitive authoritarianism. Second, it offers an explanation about the conditions under which autocratization occurred in the two countries. Autocratization transpired through both institutional and extra-institutional mechanisms. The institutional mechanisms included targeted legislative changes that undermined the democratic checks on executive power in the parliamentary system, without completely dismantling democratic institutions. The extra- institutional mechanisms included a targeted dismantling of civil society checks on executive power—through the co-optation or elimination of free and independent media, reconfiguration of the non-governmental sector and independent civil associations, as well as the take-over of business by the inner circles of the prime ministers. These cases demonstrate that a parliamentary democracy can transition into a non-democratic form of governance, regardless of the degree of its prior democratic consolidation.
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CC0 1.0 Universal
Queen's University's Thesis/Dissertation Non-Exclusive License for Deposit to QSpace and Library and Archives Canada
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.
Queen's University's Thesis/Dissertation Non-Exclusive License for Deposit to QSpace and Library and Archives Canada
ProQuest PhD and Master's Theses International Dissemination Agreement
Intellectual Property Guidelines at Queen's University
Copying and Preserving Your Thesis
This publication is made available by the authority of the copyright owner solely for the purpose of private study and research and may not be copied or reproduced except as permitted by the copyright laws without written authority from the copyright owner.