Pavel Barša, Ludger Hagedorn: "Understanding the Illiberal Turn in Central Europe"

Understanding the Illiberal Turn in Central Europe
How could it be that Central Europe, the region that birthed the anti-communist liberal utopia of the 1970s and 80s, has turned illiberal, anti-immigrant and na- tionalistic today? Is this a paradox or an outcome of the very same ideology that fueled the anti-totalitarian movement? Renowned Czech political scientist Pavel Barša finds the roots of today’s anti-universalist turn in Central Europe in the very liberal ideology that brought about the velvet revolutions. In a conversation with IWM Permanent Fellow Ludger Hagedorn, he explains his provocative thesis.