Interview on illiberal solidarism and authoritarian cooperation in Central Asia
MECACS member Dr Filippo Costa Buranelli has recently participated in an interview, published on the website of the Illiberalism Studies Programme at the Elliott School of International Affairs of George Washington University. In the interview, which focuses on illiberal solidarism and authoritarian cooperation in Central Asia, Dr Costa Buranelli discusses his research on mechanisms of authoritarian socialisation and argues that if we use the English School as a prism to view authoritarian rule in Central Asia, it is revealed that authoritarianism does not operate in a vacuum but is a social phenomenon with a clear social nature. The interview also details Dr Costa Buranelli’s idea of Central Asia as an order, based on the utilisation of the conceptual framework of ‘illiberal solidarism’ in viewing the region’s international relations. Dr Costa Buranelli elaborates on the potential impact of the institutionalisation of authoritarianism on world order, and highlights the importance of analytically distinguishing between authoritarianism and illiberalism.