In this conversation at the Review of Democracy, Mike Smeltzer –Senior Research Analyst at Freedom House who has just co-led the research on the Nations in Transit 2024 report – clarifies how the research they conduct into the broad and diverse post-communist region conceives of democracy; explains how the newest developments in these twenty-nine countries can be related to long-term trends and how thesecountries may fit broader patterns; discusses what autocratizing hybrid regimes – such as Georgia, Hungary, or Serbia – have in common and how autocracies help each other these days; and reflects on the most positive developments andurgent tasks for democrats.

Mike Smeltzer is an expert ondevelopments in the post- space and Senior Research Analyst for Nations in Transit, Freedom House’s annual survey of democratic governance from Central Europe to Eurasia. He has led the research, together with Alexandra Karppi, on the Nations in Transit 2024 report.

The Nations in Transit 2024 report – subtitled “A Region Reordered by Autocracy and Democracy” – can be accessed here.