Once a month, the IWM hosts a public lecture on subjects related to the main research interests of the Institute, which provides a window into its work.
Slovakia has been ruled by the far-right for more than a year. Within one year, the government of Prime Minister Robert Fico has tried to achieve what took Viktor Orbán 15 years in Hungary—transforming democracy into autocracy.
The damage has been extensive, spreading from culture to justice. The brutality and speed of change, however, are forcing society to resist and therefore creating sources of hope.
It turns out that democracy can defend itself if it has strong and independent media on its side, a well-organized opposition, and an active part of society protesting in city squares.
A fundamental question arises: Is it possible to enforce autocracy in a country where half of the society strongly opposes it? The answer will be important not only for Slovakia.
Martin Milan Šimečka is an author and journalist. He belongs to the few Slovak authors who published in samizdat literature in communist times. In November 1989, he was one of the founders of the revolutionary movement Public against Violence. His novel The Year of the Frog (1993) has been translated into English, French, and many other languages. He founded the independent publishing house Archa and was editor-in-chief of several prominent Slovak weekly and daily newspapers. From 2016, he has been a commentator for Dennik N. He is currently a Krzysztof Michalski Fellow at the IWM Vienna.
Misha Glenny, rector of the IWM will moderate the lecture.
