CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC AS A FACTOR IN THE STRENGTHENING OF NEO-AUTHORITARIANISM

It is argued that the Covid-19 pandemic has affected the political sphere, in particular the transformation of political regimes. Situational factors such as the Covid-19 pandemic are proven to exacerbate the authoritarian characteristics of the political regime, especially in states with an unstable democratic tradition. The key manifestations of the strengthening of neo-authoritarianism, which became apparent during the pandemic, are identified: imbalance between the branches of government; postponement of regular elections; introduction of new methods of mass surveillance; narrowing of guaranteed human and citizen rights and freedoms; increased censorship and pressure on the media; pressure on the opposition and critical segment of civil society, etc. It is substantiated that the coronavirus pandemic has had a destructive effect on the quality of democracy in states with all types of political regimes, especially in states with flawed democracies, hybrid and authoritarian regimes. The hypothesis is confirmed that autocratic state leaders, having experienced the benefits of their expanded competence during the pandemic, seek to retain their additional powers.