We have entered a world of uncertainty. Previous assumptions about politics, economy, and society have either dissolved or changed beyond recognition. The multilateral world order that emerged after 1945 is being swept away almost before our eyes, and military power may once more play a decisive role in global relations. Accepted norms of behavior in both domestic and international politics have been increasingly tossed aside. As individuals and citizens, we at times feel powerless and vulnerable. And we are left wondering whether the checks and balances that have sustained liberal democracies for decades are sufficient to meet the unprecedented challenges they face.
Two great thinkers of our time, Ivan Krastev and Timothy Snyder, cast light on the forces driving these developments and discussed how safety, freedom, and democracy can be preserved.
Ivan Krastev is IWM Albert Hirschman Permanent Fellow and Chairman of the Centre for Liberal Strategies in Sofia. The renowned political thinker and public intellectual publishes regularly in international media. For his writing, he was awarded the Jean Améry Prize for European Essay Writing.
Timothy Snyder is IWM Lesya Ukrainka Permanent Fellow. He holds the inaugural Chair in Modern European History at the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Toronto. The acclaimed historian and public intellectual is the author or editor of twenty books published in forty languages. He has received state orders and decorations as well as honorary doctorates.
IWM Permanent Fellow Ludger Hagedorn delivered the opening remarks.
You can find the video recording below.
