Electoral lawfare, judicialization, and democratic crisis
Controversies over legitimacy and political competition
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.15448/2178-5694.2026.1.48567Keywords:
lawfare, electoral judicialization, democratic crisis, political competition, institutional legitimacyAbstract
This study analyzes the growing judicialization of elections in contemporary democracies, examining judicial decisions that have generated public controversies regarding institutional legitimacy and their impacts on political competition. Drawing on Kirchheimer (1961), Mudde (2022), Scheppele (2018), and Varol (2015), the research adopts a qualitative and exploratory approach based on documentary analysis, coverage from reference media outlets, and institutional and political statements. Case selection considered electoral impact, public repercussion, and the presence of narrative disputes over legality, focusing on leaders classified as belonging to the radical populist right. The study argues that such episodes reveal tensions between formal legality, popular sovereignty,
and political pluralism.
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