Illiberalism, polarisation, resilience, and resistance:Concepts in dynamic tension

Abstract

Recent years have witnessed a growing number of illiberal regimes around the world (Pappas,2014; Brubaker, 2017; Csigó & Merkovity, 2016; Enyedi, 2016; Rupnik, 2016; Magyar &Madlovics, 2020). Among other features, such regimes undermine liberal norms that entailequal legal protections of citizens and social groups. Governments and leading politicalactorsin these regimes typically propagate discourses and advance policies that representextremenarratives and stigmatise or exclude targeted groups (Vidra & Fox, 2014; Feischmidt& Hervik, 2015; Cammaerts, 2018; Kaya, 2018), which in turn fosters a radicalising shift inthe political mainstream (Minkenberg, 2017). This often leads to political actors intentionallyadopting polarising strategies. Typically cutting along existing cleavages, polarisationshreds social cohesion and can act as an accelerant for illiberal movements, and as a cudgelagainst opponents of illiberal regimes. Yet polarisation and illiberalism are not unchallengedand irresistible forces; they exist in dynamic tension with resiliencies that defy polarisationand resistance that wilfully confronts illiberalism. This special issue is concerned with theinterplay of these core concepts: illiberalism, polarisation, resilience, and resistance. Adoptingthe axiom that liberal democratic systems are preferable by virtue of their individual andminority group protections, we welcomed articles that explored attributes and measures thatmitigate the impacts and confront illiberal discourse and policy, and instead work towardgreater social inclusion of vulnerable groups (Krasztev & Til, 2015)