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Category Archives: populism
A spectre of … something is haunting Europe
Photo: Tom Morris, via Wikicommons At 8.30am I am sitting in a thinktank seminar on ‘subterranean politics’ in Europe. At 8pm I am sitting in launch event for a book about populism in Europe and the America. It is a … Continue reading
Posted in populism, protest, Uncategorized, W European politics
Tagged Czech, Europe, farright, Jobbik, Latin America, lse, mary kaldor, mike richmond, parties, politics, populism, protest, subterranean politics, ucl
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Is there a Czech Berlusconi in the wings?
A recent report I read suggested that the travails of Public Affairs (VV) party had put voters in the Czech Republic off new political parties: VV, which burst from nowhere onto the political scene in the 2010 elections as an … Continue reading
Posted in Czech Republic, populism
Tagged ano2011, Babis, Berlusconi, Czech, Czech Republic, Okamura, parties, political parties, populism
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The Lion sleeps tonight? Former Czech PM’s new party launches
I share a bias with many political scientists working on political parties: I tend to over-rate new parties with political organisation and some real grassroots presence and under-rate those which are top-down vehicles created for individual politicians. So I am … Continue reading
Posted in Czech politics, Czech Republic, euroscepticism, left-wing politics, populism, TOP09, Uncategorized
Tagged Czech, lev, paroubek, parties, political
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Poland’s elections: Eyes down
As in 2007 Poland’s parliamentary elections in two weeks are being followed mainly as a battle between the (now incumbent) liberal Civic Platform (PO) and the conservative-national Law and Justice (PiS), which despite modest electoral revival has been on the … Continue reading
Populism in Central and Eastern Europe Spectres of moderation?
Radicalism and extremism, especially of the far-right variety, hold an enduring hypnotic fascination for political scientists and journalists. Extremist populism and illiberal movements more generally, we are told, relentlessly on the rise in both Western and Eastern Europe. In countries … Continue reading
Klaus and the nationalist right: Catching a tiger by the tail?
A few weeks ago, a journalist from the Slovak daily Pravda got in touch with me and various other political scientists interested in Czech politics to ask how we thought President Václav Klaus, who had just turned 70, was regarded … Continue reading
Posted in CEE centre-right, Czech politics, Czech Republic, euroscepticism, political parties, populism, TOP09, Václav Klaus
Tagged batora, Czech, klaus, parties
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Czech Republic: ‘Sovereignty’ a party to watch
Last year’s Czech elections were noticeable for the political breakthrough of two new pro-market centre-right parties, TOP09 and which contributed to large, if now very shaky, majority centre right coalition, TOP09 and Public Affairs (VV). A less well noted feature … Continue reading
Posted in Czech politics, Czech Republic, political parties, populism, protest, Václav Klaus
Tagged Czech Republic, parties
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>Chronicle of a (party) death foretold
> I am not always the most astute of pundits, but as the dust settled a year ago even I could see that the Veci veřejné (‘Public Affairs’), the anti-establishment, anti-corruption party that was the surprise package last May’s Czech … Continue reading
Posted in centre-right, Czech politics, Czech Republic, ODS, political parties, populism, protest
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>It was twenty two years ago today…
>That student demonstration in London against the Tory government that turned violent? I was there. Quite close to where it all kicked off, in fact, although by accident and I missed the more dramatic bits that got on the telly. But don’t … Continue reading
Posted in academia, British politics, populism, protest
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>Tea parties Czech style?
> The rise of the US Tea Party party movement has held a weird fascination even for those who normally find US politics boring or incomprehensible: revolutionary but right-wing; a citizens movement, but one making inroads into party-electoral politics; leaderless, … Continue reading
