How Democracies Can Tip Over

Sally Lisa Starken embarks on an investigative journey through democracies that are under pressure. She turns her gaze to the United States, where in the era of Trump even truth has become a matter of political bargaining, to Poland, which wobbles between social upheaval and political backsliding, and to Italy, where a post-fascist government claims normalcy.

Centered in this journey are conversations with people who have already experienced what it means when democratic institutions are weakened and authoritarian tendencies become palpable. Starken arrives at a troubling realization: authoritarian structures do not harden only after a victory at the ballot box. They take hold earlier — in language, in debates, and in political as well as social structures — and gradually push the boundaries of what can be said and done, step by step.

How Democracies Can Tilt

This development, the book suggests, concerns more than just other countries. Even in Germany, right-wing forces are gaining influence, while democratic certainties appear more fragile. Against this backdrop, Starken asks how one can steer in the opposite direction before authoritarian dynamics advance further.

“Wenn der rechte Rand regiert” (Amazon-Affiliate-Link ) seeks to offer answers by tracing developments in other countries and drawing conclusions for the present. It asks how democracies can tilt — and what this implies for an open society.

Sally Lisa Starken, born in 1990, works as a freelance journalist, author, podcaster, and content creator. She communicates political topics across various formats and has spent years examining right-wing extremism, right-wing populism, protest movements, and social injustice. She also gained wider recognition with her podcast series “The Informant.” In 2025 her book “Zu Besuch am rechten Rand” appeared with Heyne, reaching No. 1 on the Spiegel bestseller list. (dd/pm)