The Constitution Unit held an event in May, at which three expert panellists discussed the rise of democratic backsliding internationally and considered key domestic and international interventions which might help to combat this trend. In this second blog detailing the event, Sophie Andrews-McCarroll summarises the questions put to the panel during the event and the answers that they gave.

The first blog on this event detailed the speaker presentations. This included a discussion of recent trends and developments in democracies internationally, definitions of key terms under consideration – and some examples of strategies which have been successful in countering ‘backsliding’ tendencies.

The below is a summary of some key points raised in the question and answer session.

1. What would an effective relationship between domestic actors and international actors in combatting democratic backsliding look like? What are the most effective international interventions? And how can domestic and international actors collaborate?

Seema Shah

International bodies require legitimacy at a domestic level, both among leaders and the population, in order to be effective. This legitimacy is often lacking.