The Scotland Network on Turkish Politics invites paper proposals for a one-day workshop on Electoral Authoritarianism and Its Opposition, to be held at Glasgow Caledonian University, Glasgow, on 27 February 2026.
Electoral authoritarianism has become the most prevalent form of authoritarian rule worldwide. At the same time, recent years have witnessed notable opposition breakthroughs and experiments in opposition-led local governance within these regimes, often alongside continued democratic backsliding at the national level.
Prominent examples include opposition-controlled metropolitan governments in Turkey and Hungary, and, most recently, opposition victories in major cities in the United States. Yet these developments have not always translated into broader regime change. In Poland, the Mayor of Warsaw lost the 2025 presidential election. In Hungary, the opposition alliance led by the successful mayor of a mid-sized town failed to challenge Fidesz in the 2022 parliamentary elections. In Turkey, growing opposition influence at the municipal level has instead triggered renewed authoritarian crackdowns targeting opposition-led local governments.
These past and ongoing developments raise important questions about the role and limits of political opposition under electoral authoritarianism. Most importantly, it remains unclear whether, and under what conditions, urban opposition governance can constitute a pathway toward broader political transformation or regime change.
This one-day workshop invites paper proposals that examine the contestation between electoral authoritarian regimes and their opposition, with a particular focus on local politics, urban governance, and opposition-led municipalities.
Possible themes include, but are not limited to:
- Opposition strategies, organisational capacity, and leadership under authoritarian rule
- Voter attitudes and support for opposition parties in electoral authoritarian contexts
- Conditions enabling local opposition victories
- Urban governance as a site of democratic experimentation and policy innovation
- Regime strategies and practices targeting opposition-led municipalities
- The relationship between local-level governance and national-level opposition success
While the call is especially interested in contributions on Turkey and Hungary, it warmly welcomes papers from all world regions and comparative perspectives.
Submission details
Scholars interested in participating are invited to submit a 250-word abstract to
turkishpolitics.scotland@gmail.com by 20 January 2026.
Full paper submissions will be prioritised, but we also welcome proposals for presentations and research-in-progress. Please indicate clearly which format your submission takes. Decisions will be made on a rolling basis, and applicants will be notified as soon as possible.
Limited financial support may be available for scholars travelling within the UK.
Organising Committee
- Prof. Umut Korkut, Glasgow Caledonian University – umut.korkut@gcu.ac.uk
- Dr. Aykut Ozturk, University of Glasgow – aykut.ozturk@glasgow.ac.uk
- Roland Fazekas, Glasgow Caledonian University – roland.fazekas@gcu.ac.uk
PSA Turkish Politics Specialist Group 