A new study mapping the influence of states with authoritarian regimes in the areas considered to be the spheres of the so-called „soft power“ (public diplomacy, civil society, media, academic cooperation, cultural activities, people-to-people  contacts) was presented on December 6, 2017 at the conference "Sharp Power": Rising Authoritarian Influence, organized by the National Endowment for Democracy in Washington DC. IVO’s president Grigorij Mesežnikov, was among the speakers at the conference.

The study is the output of the project, which included acivities of analytical centers and individual experts from the USA, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, Argentina and Peru. The study re-conceptualizes the issue of influence of the states with different types of political regimes. It introduces the term „sharp power“  in relation to the states with authoritarian regimes instead of traditional term  „soft power“. 

Download: Sharp Power: Rising Authoritarian Influence - Testing Democratic Resolve in Slovakia [PDF]

The full study as avaiable for download at NED webpage.

Conference in Washnington, D. C. - first session. For conference’s program, please visit National Endowment for Democracy's website.