One-Off Election Wonders? Democratic Self-Defense in Eastern Europe

Processes of de-democratization and democratic resilience challenge linear conceptions of democratic backsliding. Backsliding assumes a clear point of departure or an authoritarian endpoint, obscuring the ways in which resilience can emerge within episodes of democratic weakening. Building on Bustikova and Guasti’s (2017) concept of democratic swerves, we conceptualize de-democratization as a non-linear process marked by unstable liberal–illiberal electoral cycles in which temporary corrections remain possible. The paper examines “one-off election wonders”—instances in which liberal or pro-democratic coalitions return to power for a single electoral cycle before illiberal actors re-emerge. We analyze recent cases in Bulgaria, Czechia, Slovakia, Poland, Slovenia, and Romania. Through comparative analysis, we identify the conditions under which liberals successfully dislodge illiberals and the recurring obstacles they face in office that undermine democratic self-defense. The findings highlight both the possibilities and limits of electoral resilience in contemporary Eastern Europe.