Interviews
Professor Carlos de la Torre: Populism is here to stay
“When populists included it was under the condition of surrendering to the leader conceived as the embodiment of the will...
Professor Ben-Ghiat: Any society can be susceptible to strongman figures if it’s the right time
Professor Ruth Ben-Ghiat: “The most successful of authoritarian rulers are the ones who know how to play on that ‘we.’ And they make...
Prof. Anne Gjelsvik: One topic that’s really important to someone can lead to extremism
“I think the words that we use are very important. Quite a lot of studies on the Capitol , on...
Prof. Kurt Weyland: Elections in Turkey are held but manipulated
The Turkish regime is competitive-authoritarian a la Levitsky and Way (2010, Cambridge UP). Elections are held but manipulated, with massive...
Prof. Ruth Wodak: I am very worried about the future of Europe
“Currently, lying doesn’t matter. That is what I call ‘post shame’. You don’t have to be ashamed, you don’t have...
Professor Kaltwasser: Turkey cannot be considered a democratic system anymore
Professor Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser: “The crucial question is what will happen in Turkey after Erdogan? To what extent does the...
Prof. Bertjan Verbeek: Populist foreign policy weakens soft power
Discussing the impact of the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV) on the country’s foreign policy, Professor Verbeek highlighted his observation...
Prof. Michael M. Bell: We have to understand knowledge as a social relation to understand authoritarian environmental populism
Talking about environmental populism and authoritarianism Professor Michael Mayerfeld Bell, who is also an author and a composer, explains the...
Prof. Paul Taggart: I do not agree populists will inevitably fail
British political scientist Paul Taggart does not regard populism as a “pathology” nor as “evil” and contends that it could...
Paul Lendvai: Orbán’s Hungary is a “Führer Democracy”
Viktor Orbán has built an extraordinarily centralized strongman regime, which can be described as “Führer Democracy.” Nowadays, Paul Lendvai argues,...
Prof. Pratt: Populist Leaders in the West Tend to Have Short Political Lives
Professor John Pratt: “I think, democracy has largely held firm. The Netherlands, for example, I think there was an election...
Dr. Mette Wiggen: Racism Is Key to Understanding the Far-right Everywhere
Dr. Wiggen: "Without understanding or trying to understand the role of racism, I can’t see how you can understand the...