INSTITUTIONS IN CRISIS: Read the new Aspen Review!

Democracies in Europe and elsewhere in the Western world are facing difficult times. With ongoing decline of public trust in institutions, decay of traditional political parties, and citizens' disengagement from politics, the liberal-democratic model of governance seems to be at stake. What are the causes of these trends? Are we witnessing a turn towards illiberalism? How can we restore faith in democratic government? These are some of the questions addressed by the latest Aspen Review Central Europe (1/2016).

Institutions in Crisis unveils different layers of the problem. Frank Furedi writes about the exhaustion of ideology and institutional decay, which threaten the post-war liberal-democratic establishment. Jan-Werner Müller analyzes the similarities between populism and technocracy and their destructive effect on European politics. Ivan Krastev then discusses the rise of populist and radical parties in Central Europe, while Marek Cichocki claims that the current situation in Poland is a European norm, rather than an exception.

Furthermore, we bring you an interview with Professor Dominique Moïsi about some of the most pressing European issues, such as the refugee crisis, lack of leadership in the EU, or Brexit.

In the Politics section you can read an assessment of Barack Obama's foreign policy by Roman Joch, Oana Popescu's take on Romanian strategic thinking, or an article about Bulgarian-Macedonian relations by Jan Muś.

The Economy chapter offers you the analysis of China's economic interests in Central and Eastern Europe by Michał Lubina or a piece by Dan Jerker B Svantesson, where you can learn about the challenging issue of determining jurisdiction in the Internet age. Kerem Öktem writes about the political and economic decline of Turkey, while Witold Gadomski shares his thoughts about the economic policy of the new Polish government.