Désirée Marlen Reder

Democratic decline is neither a given nor set in stone once occurring. Many countries have recovered and strengthened civic rights, even after acute episodes of autocratisation and amid a global crisis of democracy. Recognising these successes calls for the support of pro-democracy actors worldwide.

Trump’s disruptive policies could inadvertently provide the impetus to bring Europe and Latin America closer together. With smart policies, the incoming German government can leverage shared interests for a renewed partnership.

In Guatemala, President Bernardo Arévalo took office on 15 January 2024, raising hopes of democratic reform. Still, an entrenched elite has continuously distorted the independence of the judiciary. Not only are elections highly contested; democracy itself is on the line. Can Guatemala turn the tide?

This text is a contextualization of the prisoners release in Nicaragua.

Do the US and Israel aim to overthrow the religious dictatorship in Iran through their war? History shows that such attempts usually fail. Examples include Afghanistan and Iraq. Why are regime changes so difficult? Yet there have also been successful cases of exporting democracy. 

Can the attacks by the US and Israel actually topple the regime in Iran? Conflict researcher Désirée Reder on lessons learned from the history of 120 regime changes.

LASA 2025 - Latin American Studies Association Congress, San Francisco Organisers: Latin American Studies Association Désirée Marlen Reder (Speaker)

The 2018 protests in Nicaragua shook the FSLN regime. This paper analyzes Ortega’s first public address, revealing how he sought to restore legitimacy while discrediting protesters and their demands amid violent repression.

ECPR Joint Sessions 2025, Charles University Prague, Prague Organisers: European Consortium for Political Research Désirée Marlen Reder (Speaker), Monika Onken (Speaker)

Democracy is in crisis in many countries worldwide. A closer look, however, reveals that some countries manage to recover some democratic qualities. At the Workshop, we discussed our mixed-methods research on such Re-democratisation processes and the actors shaping them.