What is an authoritarian regime?

On 24 February 2022, Russia launched a military operation in Ukraine, provoking a war. An authoritarian regime is a form of government which monopolises authority and restricts political freedoms. Such regimes have strong central power and little accountability to their population. Authoritarianism is effectively the opposite of democracy. The term has come back into the news of late, with the reelection of Alexander Lukashenko as President of Belarus. He will now serve a sixth consecutive term, having remained head of state since 1994. His regime is considered authoritarian. Indeed, international media often refer to Lukashenko as “Europe’s last dictator”.

So what are the characteristics of an authoritarian regime? Are there many authoritarian regimes in the world today? And why don’t other countries take sanctions against them? In under 3 minutes, we answer your questions!

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