New Book Review by GEO-POWER-EU Researcher Dr. Valery Perry in Balkan Insight on Justin Gest’s Democratic Drain

GEO-POWER-EU researcher Dr. Valery Perry (DPC) has published a review in Balkan Insight of Justin Gest’s book, Democratic Drain: Global Migration and the Struggle for Democracy.

The book examines why people leave their countries not solely for economic reasons, but because they want to live in societies grounded in democratic values such as good governance, human rights and anti-corruption. Gest explores a number of cases around the world, combining in-depth interviews with a wide variety of quantitative data.

In the review, Dr. Perry argues that the book is a timely read, as migration is once again in the news and a familiar talking point for those who seek to stoke polarization and fear of “the other.” It also serves as a reminder of why successful democratic countries, until recently, invested in democracy support and promotion around the world. This approach, grounded in comprehensive security, has increasingly been squeezed out by zero-sum and short-term realpolitik thinking.

Read the review here.