SNAKLAB Regensburg Southeastern Europe Research Seminars

Prof. Dr Josip Glaurdić (Université du Luxembourg) will give a talk on…

“Contagions – Nationalism, Populism, and the Pandemic at Europe’s Edge“

Time: 4-6 pm

Venue: IOS, R 017, Landshuter Straße 4, 93047 Regensburg

Abstract: What happens when a public health crisis collides with fragile democracies and deeply polarized societies? Why did some Southeast European states initially outperform expectations in managing COVID-19, only to later suffer some of the world’s highest mortalityrates? And what can this region – often dismissed as peripheral – reveal about the resilience and fragility of democracies everywhere?

This talk presents Contagions: Nationalism, Populism, and the Pandemic at Europe’s Edge, a forthcoming book that explores how ideology shaped the trajectory and memory of the pandemic in Southeast Europe. Based on original surveys, cross-national comparisons,and a wealth of empirical evidence, the book argues that the pandemic was not only a health emergency but also an ideological stress test – one that exposed the ways nationalism and populism structure public trust, compliance, and collective memory.

Join us for a discussion of the book’s core questions: How did nationalism and populism interact with crisis governance? What does Southeast Europe teach us about the vulnerabilities of liberal democracy under strain? And how might the pandemic’s legacies continueto shape political life long after the virus has receded?

Snacken with Balkans Snacks