'Populism and the Future of Democracy in Europe' | Berlin Talks

This live panel discussion was recorded on September 16, 2021, as part of our ongoing series "Berlin Talks", a cooperation of international short-term study programs FU-BEST (European Studies) and FUBiS (International Summer and Winter University) at Freie Universität Berlin.

What forms of populism are there and why are we experiencing this phenomenon particularly strongly in our time? What role do dynamics such as globalization, migration, and nationalism play in this context? What effects do populist trends in politics and society have on the political cultures of the European countries concerned? How has the corona pandemic affected the phenomenon of populism? Should populism be seen primarily as a threat, or does it also open up new, useful insights into the dynamics of political development in Europe? These and other questions were the focus of the panel discussion by four experts, whose research and publications deal with the phenomenon of populism in politics and society.

Panel members:
• Dr. Dirk Verheyen (moderator): Academic director, FU-BEST.
• Dr. Catherine Fieschi: Director of Counterpoint and senior adviser to the macro-advisory firm MAP.
• Nicole Loew: Research assistant and doctoral candidate at the Otto Suhr Institute of Political Science at Freie Universität Berlin.
• Prof. Dr. Sebastian Büttner: Assistant professor at the Institute of Sociology, University of Erlangen-Nürnberg, and guest professor of Macrosociology at the Institute of Sociology, Freie Universität Berlin.
• Dr. Kai-Olaf Lang: Senior fellow at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik, SWP).

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