The successful transnationalization of illiberal networks has become a prominent feature of European and transatlantic politics. Over the past 15 years, the relationship between Russia and illiberal Western actors has grown deeper and more strategic. The Kremlin has leveraged these connections to amplify its influence, employing shared narratives and mutual-legitimation strategies to strengthen its position domestically and internationally. Following a brief period of superficial distancing after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, most pro-Russian illiberal actors in the EU have kept and even increased their ties with Moscow. This discussion will explore how narratives originating from Russia are recontextualized and used for legitimation purposes in the political discourses of European countries. The panel will also look at the cases of Austria and Hungary, identifying the mechanisms, narratives, and processes that drive the propaganda exchanges between the Austrian Freedom Party (FPÖ), the regime of Viktor Orbán, and the Kremlin, and highlighting the asymmetry of these relationships. The conversation will also contribute to a deeper understanding of the complex transnational connections between illiberal actors, their cross-border learning processes, and the need for collaborative international efforts to combat disinformation and the transfusion of illiberal and authoritarian politics as well as to uphold democratic values. Research conducted in the framework of the AUTHLIB (Neo-authoritarianisms in Europe and the Liberal Democratic Response) project provides an important contribution to understanding these dynamics and thus to the forging of effective strategies to counter the influence of coordinated illiberal narratives and propaganda efforts across Europe. The panel will discuss some of this research published in the journal article titled “Russia and central European illiberal actors; mutual legitimation amid the full-scale invasion of Ukraine” by Franziska Wagner (Central European University, CEU Democracy Institute), Liliia Sablina (Central European University), and Bálint Mikola (CEU Democracy Institute), and in the AUTHLIB working paper titled “Cross-Border Propaganda Networks. Examining the Relationship Between the Russian and Hungarian Regimes” by Dorka Takácsy (The German Marshall Fund of the United States).
Franziska Wagner on Positive Authoritarianism and How The Far Right Makes Extremism Sound Good
This short lecture aimed at providing some ideas about what text analysis can do. It introduced first steps for an exploratory analysis of text and concluded with a discussion on the potential of text analysis for political science.
