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November 9, 2019 marks the 30th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. This event, combined with the Soviet Union’s collapse in 1991, cleared the way for the formation or restoration of liberal democratic institutions not only in Eastern Europe, but around the world.
 
But, this surge of progress has begun to roll back. Many countries have struggled to accommodate the political swings and contentious debates intrinsic to democracy. In Central and Eastern Europe and the Balkans, antidemocratic leaders are undermining democracy by weakening democratic institutions, restricting freedom of expression and attacking the media, and in some cases even consolidating power beyond constitutional limits.
 
What are the biggest challenges facing democracy in Central and Eastern European states today and what lessons from 1989-1991 can be applied to present circumstances? Why do challenges to democracy in Europe matter globally, and how do they impact a potential shift in the balance of power? How can the United States and other democracies work to reinvigorate democracy where it is struggling and encourage democracy where it is repressed?