Exploring Populism in Europe: Panel Discussion at Republikon

On 30 January 2025, Péter Techet from the ‘European Dis/Orders’ project participated in a panel discussion held in Budapest, organised by the Hungarian think tank Republikon. The event explored contemporary challenges in European politics, particularly focusing on populism.

Participants examined the socio-cultural factors contributing to the rise of populist parties and debated why populist rhetoric—which claims to represent the interests of the entire “people”—is inherently anti-democratic. Specific case studies from Austria, France, Germany, and Romania were analysed to illustrate these points.

Joining Péter Techet in the discussion were:

• Zoltán Bretter, former Director of the Hungarian Institute in Bucharest;
• Gergely Prőhle, former State Secretary at Hungary’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and currently Programme Director at the John Lukács Institute;
• Anita Szűcs, Professor at Corvinus University Budapest.

The panel aimed to foster a deeper understanding of how populist discourse operates and to discuss effective democratic responses to populist narratives.

Photo credit: Republikon Institute