20/10/2025 - Populism and the politics of energy transition in Europe and beyond
This guest lecture will look at the impact of populism on climate action and decarbonization, both in their domestic and international dimensions. Earlier research tried to anticipate what that impact may be; with time, we learned more about the actual influence of populist political forces – both in opposition and in government – on energy and climate policy.
When: 20. 10. 2025, 16:30-17:50
Where: Room 021, MUP Prague-Strašnice
Speaker: Kacper Szulecki
As of 2024 we are witnessing a ‘second wave of populism’ in Europe and the US – after a series of successful recaptures (USA, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and finally Poland) we know that populism can be wrestled out of power with short-term solutions (and because of the experience of populists in government), but it is not going away.
Amidst fears of illiberal populists returning ever stronger – as they already have in the US or Slovakia – there is a need to map the griefs and grievances that remain at its core. Although populist parties that were in power in EU countries had a much less visible negative impact on ambitious climate action than was initially anticipated, the fight against climate change may be more difficult in the future, not least since many low-hanging fruits have already been harvested and future action is likely to affect households more directly and painfully.
Speaker: Kacper Szulecki, Research Professor in International Climate Governance at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and Professor II at the Centre for Global Sustainability, University of Oslo. He is also the co-chair of the ECPR Standing Group on Energy Politics, Policy and Governance, and a fellow at the Open Society Hub for the Politics of the Anthropocene at CEU Vienna.
