(Anti)Democratic Consciousness During the Covid-19 Pandemic: Democracy, Authoritarianism, and the Freedom of Peaceful Assembly
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.33700/1580-7118.26.2.5-33(2024)Keywords:
democratic consciousness, authoritarianism, democracy, covid-19, government measures, protests, SloveniaAbstract
The article explores the (anti)democratic consciousness of Slovenian citizens during the covid-19 pandemic – a period defined not only by necessary rights restrictions aimed at controlling the virus and safeguarding public health but also by political actions that were not directly related to epidemic management, which signalled authoritarian tendencies within the government. In response, citizens and civil society voiced their discontent through protests, challenging the government’s approach and decision-making. The paper examines the values, beliefs, and attitudes shaping public perceptions of government policies, emergency measures, and the right to peaceful assembly. It analyses how support for political pluralism, authoritarian and democratic values manifested in the context of emergency measures, shedding light on the broader landscape of political values in Slovenian society. The findings indicate a relatively high acceptance of positions that contradict the constitutional-democratic principles of political conduct. A key insight of the study is that ideological alignment along the left-right spectrum is not the primary factor in shaping (anti)democratic consciousness. Rather, an individual’s relationship with a favoured political party plays a more decisive role, suggesting the potential presence of both right-wing and left-wing authoritarianism.
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