Opposition and Resilience Strategies against Democratic Backsliding

Opposition and Resilience Strategies against Democratic Backsliding offers a practical guide for understanding and responding to democratic backsliding. Based on comparative research, political theory, field experience, and case studies from Poland, Moldova, Serbia, and Turkey, authors Prof. Jennifer McCoy and Prof. Murat Somer outline how democratic actors can resist authoritarian tendencies, recover from democratic decline, and strengthen democratic resilience.

The report is organised around three key themes:

• Understanding democratic backsliding – It examines the dynamics of democratic erosion, the role of polarisation, and the strategies commonly employed by governments that weaken democratic institutions. It also analyses how these processes affect opposition actors, civil society, and public trust.
• Building effective democratic resistance – The publication presents a conceptual framework for developing broad democratic coalitions, renewing political leadership, fostering cooperation between political parties and civil society, and engaging citizens through inclusive narratives and reform agendas that address both democratic and socioeconomic concerns.
• Rebuilding democracy after backsliding – The report outlines principles for democratic recovery, emphasising the importance of restoring institutions through lawful and inclusive reforms while delivering tangible improvements to citizens' daily lives. It also reflects on the role of international actors and highlights lessons that can help strengthen democratic resilience over the long term.

Rather than presenting a single model for democratic recovery, Opposition and Resilience Strategies against Democratic Backsliding brings together successful practices from different national contexts in an effort to contribute to a hands-on Democratic Playbook for policymakers, political leaders, civil society organisations, researchers, and all those working to defend and renew democratic governance.