The Elections in Turkey and Poland: How Domestic Corruption Undermines Democracy

Please join the Alliance for Securing Democracy at the German Marshall Fund and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems for a virtual discussion of the autocratic threats facing the two most consequential national elections of 2023: Turkey and Poland.

From Ukraine’s courageous defense of its own sovereignty and democracy to the ongoing demands for human rights and reform in Iran, there are many reasons for optimism about the future of the liberal democratic order. But this hope ought to be tempered by the fact that the two most important elections in the world this year—Turkey in May and Poland in the fall—will be administered by severely backsliding regimes that will likely subvert any chance of a fair contest and, in Turkey, may even descend into unfree authoritarianism. Turkey and Poland are also both headed by increasingly autocratic leaders who have demonstrated their willingness to undermine key democratic institutions—including an independent judiciary and a free media—to further their holds on power. Their upcoming elections will offer a glimpse into the future of democracy and have lasting impacts on the EU and NATO.

This event is sponsored by the Transatlantic Democracy Working Group.