Overview

This book analyses the evolving nature of democratic threats and identifies strategies necessary to safeguard democratic governance in an increasingly turbulent political environment. It explores how democratic systems in Europe have faced, and continue to face, threats from various entities that exhibit essential characteristics of being enemies of democracy, including fascism, Nazism, authoritarianism, and modern forms of populism and external interference. Through detailed case studies, the book examines the tactics used by enemies of democracy to undermine the sovereignty of political nations, from the rise of totalitarian regimes in the twentieth century to contemporary challenges like Russia’s democratic decline and hybrid warfare tactics in Poland and Estonia. It also highlights how certain democracies have successfully resisted these threats, offering valuable lessons for protecting democratic values and institutions in today’s world. Going beyond historical analysis, the book provides a comprehensive theoretical framework for understanding and categorising the enemies of democracy, transforming the concept from a normative idea into a powerful analytical tool. This book will be of key interest to scholars and students of European history and politics, political theory, democracy, political systems, political philosophy, and comparative politics.

Full Product Details

Author:   Joanna Rak (Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland) ,  Roman Bäcker (Nicolaus Copernicus University, Poland)
Publisher:   Taylor & Francis Ltd
Imprint:   Routledge
Weight:   0.600kg
ISBN:  

9781032954745

ISBN 10:   1032954744
Pages:   224
Publication Date:   11 March 2025
Audience:   College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  Tertiary & Higher Education ,  Professional & Vocational
Format:   Hardback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   In Print  
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Table of Contents

Part 1: Introduction 1. Theorising Successes and Failures of Enemies Threatening Empowered Political Nations 2. Theoretical Perspectives on Enemies of Democracy: Navigating the Battlefield 3. From Banning Paramilitary Groups to Banning Social Media Profiles: Enemies of Democracy and Four Generations of Militant Democratic Means Part 2: Militant Democracy and Its Enemies 4. Fascism as a Phenomenon of Political Modernism and Totalitarian Democracy 5. How Authoritarian Actors Create a Democratic Regime: The Evolution of Franco’s Spain from Fascist Roots to Militant Democracy 6. From Weimar Democracy to Totalitarianism: How the NSDAP’s Social Mobilisation and Elite Elimination Paved the Way for Nazi Victory 7. Why Did European Terrorists Fail in the Twentieth Century? The Traditional Enemies of Democracy and Their Struggle for Political Relevance 8. Strategy and Resilience of Democratic Actors in Interwar Czechoslovakia: Enemies of Democracy Part 3: Neo- and Cyber Militant Democracy and Their Enemies 9. Russia’s Political Deep Structures as the Inherent Enemy of Democracy: Chronicle of a Death Foretold in Terms of Systems Analysis 10. Nation and Sovereignty under the Hungarian Fundamental Law of 2011 11. Hybrid Interference at the Polish-Belarusian Border in 2021: Explaining the Success of Destabilisation Efforts 12. Why Do Electoral Meddlers Fail to Succeed in Estonia? Explaining Resilience to Interference in Democracy 13. Extreme Populist Parties and the Presidentialisation of Politics as a New Threat to the Fifth French Republic’s Constitutional Order Part 4: Conclusions 14. Confronting Old and New Enemies: The Evolution from Militant to Cyber Militant Democracy

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Author Information

Joanna Rak is Associate Professor of Political Sciences at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznań, Poland. Roman Bäcker is Professor of Political Sciences at Nicolaus Copernicus University, Toruń, Poland.

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