| Summary: | Proposed democratic backsliding in some Eastern members of the European Union, has recently been raised as a new challenge for the EU. Because of this, this thesis aims to shine light on the extent of democratic backsliding in the EU’s Eastern bloc and the factors that enable it. This is done through a two-step research design, consisting of a description of changes in Freedom House’s Freedom Rating, and a comparative case study testing the three main strands of potential explanations for backsliding. A key finding is that that five of 11 Eastern EU members have seen negative developments during the past 15 years. Backsliding has been substantial in Hungary and Latvia, moderate in Poland and Bulgaria, and mild Lithuania. Furthermore, it is found that mainstream parties’ commitment to democracy, as well as the extent to which Europe’s recent economic crisis hit national finances and ordinary citizens, appear to be factors enabling backsliding in the EU’s Eastern bloc.
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