Democratic Institutions under Stress

Democracy builds on common principles such as elections, a division of power, and the rule of law. In practice, democratic institutions often underperform due to executives overstepping the mark, conflicts and power struggles causing a stalemate in the policy process, as well as governance instability.

Democratic Institutions under Stress

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    Audio file X-Space Venezuela, 29.7.2024, a conversation with Sabine Kurtenbach, Maryhen Jimenez Morales, Jesus Renzullo, and Mariana Llanos
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    Audio file X-Space Venezuela, 29.7.2024, a conversation with Sabine Kurtenbach, Maryhen Jimenez Morales, Jesus Renzullo, and Mariana Llanos

    GIGA Insights | 31/01/2025

    Venezuela at a Turning Point? The Elections and an Uncertain Future

    On 28 July 2024 the people of Venezuela were called to elect a new president. The elections took place amid controversy, with the National Election Council declaring President Nicolás Maduro the winner without evidence. Despite far-reaching protests, Maduro was inaugurated as the new president in January 2025. Our experts delve into the elections’ credibility, the opposition’s counterefforts, and international reactions.

    Research Project | 01/06/2025 - 31/12/2027

    Digital Authoritarianism through Lawfare: Mapping and Strengthening Civil Society Responses in Asia

    This project investigates the most potent weapon of digital authoritarianism - lawfare in the digital realm in South and Southeast Asia in general and Indonesia, Malaysia, Bangladesh, and Thailand in particular. Building on previous research, it creates the first database in the world on the range of laws used for digital repression of civil society by autocratic/autocratising states, its impact on democracies and civil liberties, and countermeasures for democratic resistance and resilience.
    Luminate, 2025-2027

    Research Project | 01/03/2025 - 28/02/2027

    Leftist Politics in Democratising Indonesia

    My project addresses the question of why the leftist element of civil society in Indonesia remains marginalised despite over two decades of democratisation that have ostensibly created a more open political landscape. It investigates the factors that hinder their consolidation, both related to organisational capacity and the socio-political structures. Specifically, it analyses the extent to which Indonesia’s recent democratic decline correlates with the continued absence of an organised left.
    AvH, 2025-2027

    Research Project | 01/05/2021 - 30/04/2026

    Democratic Institutions in the Global South (DEMINGS)

    This project contributes new knowledge on the functioning of democratic institutions in the Global South, their (in)efficacy to constrain powerful executives, and the effects of particular institutions on both democratic quality and regime stability. The focus is on countries with presidential constitutions, i.e., those with directly elected presidents, an institutional choice that extended worldwide in the last decades.
    Leibniz Competition, 2021-2026


    Infographic | 04/2025

    COVID-19 and Executive Personalization in Sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, Latin America and the MENA Region: A Dashboard

    This dashboard examines how the COVID-19 pandemic influenced executive personalization in 32 countries. Each bubble represents a country and its number of personalization events. Select one or two, then use the buttons to explore the events and their underlying mechanisms.

    Heinrich Böll Foundation | 06/06/2025

    Expert Roundtable on Strengthening European Defense Capabilities in the Era of Trump 2.0

    Organiser: Heinrich Böll Foundation Dr. Sangeeta Mahapatra (Speaker)

    Invited Speaker at the Panel on defending threats to democracies in Europe from hybrid threats including information and cognitive warfare and building defence and deterrence capabilities to deal with new-age threats and challenges to democracy from autocratic regimes.

    Conference | 02/06/2025 - 04/06/2025

    11th CEISAL Congress

    11th CEISAL Congress, University Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris Organisers: European Council for Social Research on Latin America (CEISAL) Dr. Cordula Tibi Weber (Panelist), Pablo Pizarro Zúñiga (Panelist)

    Crises challenge democracies by empowering executives and law enforcement, often at the expense of rights and accountability. The panel examines the key role of courts and prosecutors in protecting fundamental rights in different crises.

    Conference | 02/06/2025 - 04/06/2025

    Prosecutors and Courts between Law Enforcement and Rights Protection: Insights from the COVID-19-Pandemic in Chile

    11th CEISAL Congress, University Sorbonne Nouvelle, Paris Organisers: European Council for Social Research on Latin America (CEISAL) Prof. Dr. Mariana Llanos (Speaker), Pablo Pizarro Zúñiga (Speaker), Dr. Cordula Tibi Weber (Speaker)

    We analyse how Chilean prosecutors and courts balanced law enforcement and rights protection in cases of lockdown violations during the COVID-19 pandemic. We highlight regional differences in decision behaviour and discuss explanatory factors, such as the severity of the pandemic.

    President (ad interim)

    Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach is President (ad interim) of the GIGA.

    Prof. Dr. Sabine Kurtenbach

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    Africa|Asia|Latin America|Middle East

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