Bad Idea: The Rise of Illiberal Values and the Exporting of Repression Across the Former Soviet Union

Authoritarian governments are increasingly seeking to spread their values beyond their borders and to put pressure on their opponents abroad. Regimes are learning from each other new ways to restrict the freedoms of their citizens and are collaborating to crack down on perceived troublemakers. The Foreign Policy Centre's Exporting Repression program looks at the role of traditionalist, illiberal civil society groups in promoting authoritarian viewpoints, as well as the way authoritarian regimes use Western lobbying to manage their image. It also explores the information battle over the use of media, social media, and the wider internet to promote authoritarian messages and challenge independent voices.

This event will explore the Foreign Policy Centre's recent research into how authoritarian values are promoted and developed within, and exported from, the countries of the former Soviet Union. Panelists will discuss how these “new norms” are gaining traction—and how to strengthen the response of the European and international community to this new challenge.