The third wave of autocratisation and the Western Balkans
The third wave of autocratisation and the Western Balkans

Summary/Abstract: The third wave of autocratisation began globally at some point in the 1990s. In the Western Balkans it became a clear pattern in the 2010s. The vast majority of democracies emerged during the three waves of democratisation. By analysing the annual reports of Freedom House and reviewing the relevant scholarly analyses, the author identifies the early 2010s as the beginning of the third wave of autocratisation in the Western Balkans. This trend turned all countries in the region into hybrid regimes and stabilitocracies. All relevant external ac¬tors helped this process: the EU and the USA by endorsing stability rather than democracy, and China and Russia by supporting autocratic tendencies. During global and regional waves of autocratisation it is difficult to expect local democratisations. The author suggests that only a new regional wave of democratisation could potentially reverse the process, and that it would need external support of international liberal actors.

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