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From Algeria to Belarus: advancing democracy in authoritarian contexts
54:17|In this episode of Embrace Democracy – Reflections from the European Neighborhood, we speak with Professor Giselle Bosse and Zine Labidine Ghebouli about the resilience of authoritarian and hybrid regimes—and the protest movements and civil society actors that challenge them. Drawing on case studies from Algeria, Serbia, Belarus, and Lebanon, our guests explore the concept of blockage elites— powerful actors who actively resist democratisation. We examine the tools they use to maintain control, from repression, propaganda and identity politics to international economic ties.But there are also sparks of hope: protest movements successfully engaging with elites in Algeria, coalitions built across social groups, and vibrant opposition organising in exile in Belarus. Our guests discuss when and how democratic openings emerge, and why local ownership and strategic coalition-building are crucial for lasting change. If this or any other episode in the series resonates with you, please share it, subscribe, and leave us a review. You can find more information on the project and additional resources and our publications on our website: www.embrace-democracy.eu. If you would like to get in touch, you can reach us at embrace@berghof-foundation.org. Disclaimer: This episode was recorded on 11 September 2025. The statements made in this podcast are the speakers’ own and don’t reflect the EMBRACE consortium’s position.Links to the recommendations made in the episode:Frantz Fanon’s writingsHannah Arendt – The origins of totaliarism
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Georgia and North Macedonia: When Democracy becomes a Geopolitical Battleground
57:48|In this episode of EMBRACE Democracy, we explore what happens when democracy promotion becomes part of a global power struggle.Our guests, Ana Mikautadze from Georgia and Ana Krstinovska from North Macedonia, bring deep regional knowledge to the table. As members of the EMBRACE consortium, they have studied how EU democracy support is shaped – and sometimes undermined – by geopolitical competition with actors like Russia and China. We discuss the tools used by these competing powers, how they interact with local politics, and what this means for the EU’s future as a democracy promoter.Notes: This episode was recorded on 10 July 2025. Links to the recommendations made in the episode: Liu Cixin – The Three-Body ProblemDaron Acemoglu and James Robinson – Why Nations FailJames Robinson on Why Nations FailGaza and Ukraine: What does it mean to work for democracy in the midst of war?
54:48|In this episode of EMBRACE Democracy, we bring together two voices from regions currently at the heart of global attention: Gaza and Ukraine. Our guests, Omar Shaban and Tetiana Kyselova – both members of the EMBRACE consortium – are researchers, practitioners, and advocates for peace and democratic transformation.Together, they explore how people continue to engage in democratic action despite violence and uncertainty, what lessons can be drawn from the ground, and how the EU is perceived – and could play a more constructive role – in these contexts.Notes: This episode was recorded on 10 July 2025. Links to the recommendations made in the episode: Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi – The Nature of DespotismRoger Fisher and William Uri – Getting to Yes
Popular uprisings: reflections from Serbia and Tunisia
47:51|In this episode, I will be speaking with two guests Nadia Jmal and Bojan Vranic, who operate at the intersection of research and activism. As part of their work with the EMBRACE project, both have contributed to advance our knowledge on popular uprisings: one from Serbia, where ongoing protests are challenging authoritarian backsliding, and another from Tunisia, where the Arab Spring once sparked region-wide hopes for democratic transformation. We'll hear what the research says about what worked, what didn't, and what international support can look like in practice.
Introduction: What works in democracy support, and why?
36:31|In the intro episode for EMBRACE Democracy: Reflections from the European Neighbourhood, host Johanna Hülzer sat down with Professors Sonja Grimm and Karina Shyrokykh, members of the EMBRACE Consortium and engaged researchers, educators, and advocates for democracy to explain the research project behind this deceptively simple question. They reflect on the three-year journey across diverse countries and political landscapes, findings from the project's multidisciplinary research, how European Union democracy support can meet the real world in all its messiness and contradictions, and their advice for listeners interested in a similar career path. This discussion takes you on a deep dive into the motivations behind the project, explores the world of democracy promotion, explains how it is under pressure not only from the outside, but from within the EU, and how voices on the ground can be uplifted at a time when backsliding democracies and rising authoritarianism are shrinking the space for opposition to act.EMBRACE is a research project that investigates how the EU helps to overcome blockages to democracy in the European Neighbourhood. The project is funded by the Horizon Europe Scheme. If this or any other episode in the series resonates with you, please share it, subscribe, and leave us a review. You can find more information on the project and additional resources and our publications on our website: www.embrace-democracy.eu. If you would like to get in touch, you can reach us at embrace@berghof-foundation.org.