Democracy Talk #8: What to do against the international far-right?

In recent years, we have observed close cooperation between far-right political and societal actors around the world. They claim to form a united front against 'globalists' and the supposedly corrupt 'liberal elites'. To further their cause, far-right actors have created a transnational ideological infrastructure and forums for exchanging ideas and experiences. Many far-right politicians have, in particular, learned the rhetoric and methods that other like-minded politicians have used to dismantle democracy, and emulated them in their own countries. This common authoritarian playbook, describing the ways in which aspiring authoritarians seek to change the political system, is one of the reasons for their success. Recently, however, far-right leaders have even started to intervene in political battles on behalf of their allies. The most recent example is US President Donald Trump, who imposed punitive tariffs on Brazil, with the explicit goal of protecting its far-right former president, Jair Bolsonaro. We will discuss these worrying developments and how to counter them with one of the leading experts in the field, Professor Kenneth Roberts from Cornell University.

About Kenneth Roberts

Kenneth M. Roberts is the Richard J. Schwartz Professor of Government at Cornell University. His teaching and research interests focus on democracy and the political economy of development, in particular the politics of inequality.  Much of his published work explores the intersection of political parties, social movements, and populism, in Latin America and beyond. His current research projects study crises of democracy in the global arena. The event is co-organised with the Political Science Department of the Central European University.