Historical experience of constitutive left-right interaction in regime transformation at the exit from authoritarianism

Abstract

This article examines the mechanisms of authoritarian regime transformation through the analysis of three distinct
20th-century case studies: Hungary, Spain, and the USSR. It introduces the concept of constitutive interaction as a key factor in
democratic transformation. The study defines constitutive interaction as the joint establishment of political “rules of the game”
involving actors from across the left-right ideological spectrum.
Applying the lens of constitutive interaction to analyze political transformations in different systems allows for the
identification of fundamental patterns in successful transitions, highlights key risks, as well as the aspects that require the
greatest attention for actors in political transformation.

For citation: Rogovskii, V. (2025). Historical experience of constitutive left-right interaction in regime transformation at the exit
from authoritarianism. Russia’s Directions. Vol. 3. No. 3. P. 30–53.

Additional Info
Submitted: August 10, 2025
Reviewed: September 10, 2025
Copyright: © Auhtors, 2025
Distribution: Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0)