Center for the Analysis of Liberty and Authoritarianism (LAUT), a clear evidence of the power of collective research and as a strong source of hope amid the times we are living.Far from home, I met wonderful people who brightened my journey during my graduate studies and will always have my gratitude. For our talks about academic life, laughs, wine and walks, I thank especially Hiva Khedri, Viktorija Jakjimovska, Maria Varaki and Luís Bogliolo.For their warm friendship over the course of this research, my sincere thanks also go to