Crises and political transformations in hybrid and authoritarian regimes: case studies from the European neighbourhood

In an era of global uncertainties and multifaceted crises, this Special Issue explores the relationship between crisis dynamics and political transformations, focusing on regions bordering the European Union. Despite extensive research on political regimes, limited scholarship has examined how recent economic, geopolitical, environmental, and sociocultural shocks interact with and alter the foundations of political systems. This article addresses critical questions concerning the transformation mechanisms of crises and their political implications. How do crises influence domestic political change? Do they destabilise or reinforce existing political orders? How do different political regimes respond to challenging circumstances? Focusing on Eastern Europe, the South Caucasus, and the Southern Mediterranean, this Special Issue examines diverse political settings encompassing entrenched autocracies, hybrid regimes, and democratic transition attempts. By integrating scholarship on political change and crisis dynamics, it uncovers pathways to political change or lack of change in the European Neighbourhood during turbulent periods.