Second year MPhil student researching the relationship between regime type and digital authoritarianism: The Cases of Russia, Hungary, and Germany

The relationship between regime type and digital authoritarianism: The Cases of Russia, Hungary, and Germany

During this summer I spent seven weeks in Saint Petersburg, doing an intensive Russian language course at the Saint Petersburg State University generously supported by

the REES language tuition grant. Since Russia is one of my case studies, this was a very enriching time for me and allowed me not only to improve my Russian language skills, which was essential for propelling forward my research on the Russian internet regulation model, as it allowed me to better grasp relevant Russian-language literature, but also to establish first contactsregarding potential interviewees.

My thesis focuses on the impact of regime type on the emergence of authoritarian-type government internet regulation policies in the Central and Eastern European region. Specifically, I am investigating the civic online culture and regulatory practices governing the online space in Russia, Hungary, and Germany, covering a wide span of regime (sub-)types. I will seek to shed some light on the question to what extent these countries’ approaches towards internet policy can be explained by their individual regime types and in what ways trans- and international influences as well as post-authoritarian legacies are at play in shaping their efforts to manage and constrain civic online behaviour.