Podcasts / Vienna Coffee House Conversations with Ivan Vejvoda

In this episode of the Vienna Coffee House Conversations, Ivan Vejvoda hosts Kim Lane Scheppele, the Lawrence S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton University. With a particular focus on the example of Hungary under Orbán, they explore the rise of populism, identity politics, and nationalism, and point out the threats these pose to democracy—especially when leaders exploit the legal frameworks of democratic institutions to entrench and extend their power. How can populism corrupt a democratic state into an autocracy?

Kim Lane Scheppele is the Laurance S. Rockefeller Professor of Sociology and International Affairs at Princeton University, focusing on the intersection of constitutional and international law, particularly in systems under stress. She has researched the development of constitutional law in Hungary and Russia post-1989 and the impact of anti-terrorism laws globally post-9/11. Scheppele has served as an expert advisor to the Hungarian Parliament's Constitutional Drafting Committee and co-directed the Gender and Culture Studies program at Central European University. She previously taught at the University of Pennsylvania School of Law and has held visiting professorships at Humboldt University, Erasmus University, Yale, and Harvard. She directed Princeton’s Program in Law and Public Affairs and has received the Kalven Prize from the Law and Society Association, with elections to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the International Academy of Comparative Law.

In this episode of the Vienna Coffee House Conversations podcast, host Ivan Vejvoda speaks with Erik Jones, director of the Schuman Center for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute in Florence. Covering the rise of populism, nationalism, and identitarian politics in Europe and beyond, Jones argues that the current political disorder is neither new nor exceptional, drawing parallels to historical periods of economic success followed by political unrest. He emphasizes the significant role of rising inequality and economic uncertainty in driving people away from mainstream parties toward populist alternatives.

Erik Jones is the Director of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute. Prior to this role, he was a Professor of European Studies and International Political Economy at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS). He has authored numerous books including “The Oxford Handbook of the European Union” (2012) and “The Oxford Handbook of Italian Politics” (2015), is a co-editor of the journal “Government and Opposition” and a contributing editor for “Survival.” His academic and public commentary has appeared in major publications including the Financial Times and the New York Times. His research interests cover a broad range of topics in European politics and political economy, including the crises in the European Union and the political dynamics of European integration.

In this episode of the "Vienna Coffee House Conversations" podcast, Ivan Vejvoda interviews Ivan Marović, executive director of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, about his experiences and insights on nonviolent civil resistance. Marović reflects on his journey from his work as a highly consequential student activist to his current role promoting civil resistance globally. He emphasizes the importance of sustained, organized movements over spontaneous protests and the need for civil society to actively engage in politics to prevent authoritarianism.

Ivan Marović is an activist and expert in nonviolent resistance, renowned for his pivotal role in Serbia's Otpor! movement, which was instrumental in the overthrow of Serbia's Slobodan Milosevic in 2000. As one of the movement's leaders, Marović helped develop strategies that mobilized significant grassroots support and led to a peaceful transition of power. Following this success, he dedicated his career to advising and training pro-democracy groups around the globe. Currently, Marović serves as the Executive Director of the International Center on Nonviolent Conflict (ICNC), where he continues to advocate for strategic nonviolent action and educate others on the principles of civil resistance.

Kicking off the second half of season three where we will look beyond the ranks of Europe's Futures Fellows to bring you conversations from thought leaders and key thinkers across the academic and policy spectrum, this new episode of the Vienna Coffee House Conversations with Ivan Vejvoda features a conversation with distinguished professor Ruth Wodak. Ruth shares her expertise on the recurring evils of history, particularly emphasizing contemporary antisemitism and its roots. Her personal story, interwoven with academic observations, provides a poignant backdrop and urgency to the conversation about the resurgence of right-wing politics in Europe.

Ruth Wodak is a distinguished linguist and Emerita Distinguished Professor of Discourse Studies at Lancaster University, as well as a retired Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Vienna. Renowned for her research in critical discourse studies, Wodak's work delves into topics such as language in politics, identity politics, gender studies, and the discourse of racism and anti-Semitism. Over her career, she has been recognized with numerous awards including the Wittgenstein Prize for Elite Researchers in 1996 and the Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria in 2011. Wodak has held several prestigious visiting professorships globally and has authored and co-authored numerous influential books and articles, with her research being translated into many languages.

In this episode of the Vienna Coffee House Conversations, Ivan Vejvoda hosts Ieva Česnulaitytė, Europe's Futures Fellow of the IWM and ERSTE Foundation, for a discussion of current issues facing the world's democracies. They examine the declining trust in democratic institutions, the rise of populism, and increasing political polarization. Česnulaitytė brings her background in democratic innovation to talk about the role of citizens' assemblies and participatory governance in addressing these challenges. The conversation also covers the impact of technology on cross-cultural deliberations and the importance of face-to-face interactions in community trust-building.

Ieva Česnulaitytė is the Founding Head of Research and Learning at DemocracyNext. Previously a Policy Analyst at the OECD, focusing on citizen participation and open government, she contributed to establishing the OECD's evidence base on sortition-based citizens' assemblies and co-authored the report "Catching the Deliberative Wave". She supported European governments in citizen engagement practices and was involved in developing deliberative processes in Finland and Spain. Her interest in democratic innovation grew during her work in Lithuania’s Prime Minister's office, leading Lithuania’s participation in the Open Government Partnership Initiative. She is a Europe's Futures Fellow for 2023/2024.

In this episode of the Vienna Coffee House Conversations, host Ivan Vejvoda engages with Alberto Alemanno, a leading voice on Europe's democratization. The discussion focuses on the state of democracy in Europe and the European Union, emphasizing the rise of far-right parties and the challenges of upcoming elections, including the 2024 European Parliamentary elections. Alemanno provides insights into electoral trends, the role of conservative parties, and the narrative of a Europe of nations. The conversation (recorded on 4 December 2023) also covers the European Council meeting on 14 and 15 December 2023, touching on decisions regarding Ukraine and Moldova, and institutional reforms within the EU. Alemanno expresses skepticism about the meeting's potential outcomes due to the complex geopolitical landscape and internal EU politics.

Alberto Alemanno is a Jean Monnet Professor in EU Law at HEC Paris since 2009, a permanent visiting professor at the University of Tokyo's School of Public Policy and the College of Europe in Bruges and a 2023/24 Europe's Futures Fellow of ERSTE Foundation and IWM Vienna. He began his academic career as a teaching assistant at the College of Europe in Bruges in 2001, later pursuing a PhD at Bocconi University. Alemanno is a qualified attorney in New York and has worked as a law clerk at the Court of Justice of the European Union and the General Court of the European Union. He is a Global Clinical Professor of Law at New York University School of Law, where he directs the HEC-NYU EU Public Interest Clinic.