Events
Workshop “The Rise of Grassroots Radicalism and its Political Effects”
On Friday, November 5, 2021, the Research Unit Transformations of Democracy hosted an in-person workshop on“The Rise of Grassroots Radicalism and its Political Effects”. Organized by Sebastian Hellmeier and Daniel Bischof the unit welcomed scholars from various German and European universities and research institutes.
The first panel included presentations on media reporting of terrorist attacks (Teresa Völker) and civil society coalitions against right-wing populist movements (Larissa Meier and Jan Matti Dollbaum). The second panel looked at the effects of radical right-wing marches on political behavior (Daniel Bischof) and the AfD's "Junge Alternative" (Anna-Sophie Heinze). Right-wing protests and migration (Enzo Brox and Tommy Krieger) and regional radicalization in Germany (Sophia Hunger,Swen Hutter, Eylem Kanol, and Daniel Felipe Saldivia Gonzatti) were the focus of the third panel. The workshop concluded with insights into the effects of protests on spectators (Violeta Haas and Tim Wappenhans) and on the propensity of violence (Sebastian Hellmeier).
The unit thanks all participants for sharing findings from their research, a great discussion, and inspirations for further research.
Seminar Series: Democracy – Past, Present, and Future
Chairs: Grzegorz Ekiert, Harvard University; Daniel Ziblatt, WZB
This seminar series explores the past, present, and future of democracy – its institutions and norms – and some chronic dilemmas in the practice of democracy. It convenes important thinkers in Europe and North America to explore what makes democracies work and the challenges they currently face. The series will also serve as a forum for discussion of work in progress and forthcoming books and papers contributing to debates on democracy
Session 4: Authoritarianism From Above and Below in East Central Europe
December 2, 2021
Speakers
Kim Lane Scheppele Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs, Princeton School of Public and International Affairs and the University Center for Human Values, Princeton University
Grzegorz Ekiert Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Government, Harvard University; Director, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
Session 3: Democracy Without a Majority?
Friday, 29 October, 2021, 7.30 pm CEST
This seminar will focus on Michael Koß's new book, Demokratie Ohne Mehrheit? (“Democracy Without a Majority?”) which received widespread media attention in Germany because of its provocative argument that the era of mass parties – the bulwarks of postwar democracy – may be over. How can democracy survive if its primary carriers are disintegrating? Koß makes the case that the end of the Cold War has precariously returned central European politics to the fractious roots that existed before WWII. The discussion has special relevance as negotiations are underway in the Federal Republic of Germany to create a three-party government coalition – a historic first.
Speakers
Michael Koß, Professor for the Political System of Germany and the EU, Leuphana University Lüneburg
Thomas Zittel, Professor for Comparative Politics, Goethe University; External Fellow at the Mannheim Centre for European Social Research (MZES), University of Mannheim; Max Weber Chair in German and European Studies, NYU
Session 2: Populism after Trump
Thursday, March 4, 2021, 6.30 pm
Does the defeat of Donald Trump in the 2020 election signal the end of populism globally? While some populist leaders, such as Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, felt emboldened by Trump's presidency, other populist and right-wing movements, including those in France and Germany, were independent of his leadership and remain largely unaffected by his defeat. This seminar will explore the future of populism in Europe, Latin America, and the United States and assess if their fortunes will wax or wane.
Speakers
Anne Applebaum - Senior Fellow of International Affairs and Agora Fellow in Residence, Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS)
Steven Levitsky - Professor of Government, Harvard University
Daniel Ziblatt - Eaton Professor of the Science of Government, Harvard University; CES Resident Faculty & Seminar Co-chair, Harvard University; Unit Director, Transformations of Democracy, Berlin Social Science Center (WZB)
Grzegorz Ekiert - Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Government, Harvard University; Director, Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies, Harvard University
Session 1: "The State of Democracy and Future Research"
Thursday, 19 November 2020
Speakers
Sheri Berman – Professor of Political Science, Barnard College, Columbia University
Wolfgang Merkel – Professor Emeritus, Berlin Social Science Center (WZB)
Yascha Mounk – Senior Fellow, SNF Agora Institute, Johns Hopkins University
Pippa Norris – Paul F. McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics & CES Faculty Associate, Harvard University
Grzegorz Ekiert – Laurence A. Tisch Professor of Government & CES Director, Harvard University
Daniel Ziblatt – Director, "Transformations of Democracy" Berlin Social Science Center (WZB) and Professor at Harvard University
