06.08.2026
A counter-playbook against the illiberal backlash – towards cross-sectorial and transnational learning
The workshop took place on July 8–9 as part of the NEW HORIZONS series and was organized by the College of Fellows in cooperation with IRex.
![[Translate to English:]](/fileadmin/_processed_/2/c/csm_2026-08-06_Counter_Playbook_d781065f86.webp "[Translate to English:]")
When the far right comes to power, the independence of democratic institutions is often under attack. Among the first ones usually are independent media, organized pro-democratic civil society, and academia. How can these institutions resist an illiberal capture and remain independent when a far-right party enters government?
We at the Institute for Research on Far Right Extremism (IREX) hosted a workshop on potential action repertoires and cross-sectoral support of media, civil society, and academia. Thanks to our participants, practitioners and researchers from 8 different countries (many of which had first-hand experience of facing an illiberal backlash), we set the foundation of a “Pro-democratic Playbook” and further cross-sectoral and transnational cooperation.
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