The world is increasingly influenced by the growth of the radical right and populism. Conservative leaders are attracting a significant number of voters, including many young people. How can this be explained? And where did liberalism fail? Tonight, we delve into these questions in a one-on-one interview with writer, essayist, politician, and modern thinker Michael Ignatieff.
Michael Ignatieff is a Canadian intellectual, writer, and politician. He has a wide-ranging career in academia, journalism, and public service, served as the rector of Central European University and taught at Harvard. He is the biographer of Isaiah Berlin, the foremost philosopher of the 20th century. Ignatieff has written extensively on history, human rights, and political theory. Ignatieff also led the Liberal Party of Canada from 2008 to 2011. He is widely regarded as a key thinker on nationalism, democracy, and international relations.
In 2018, Michael Ignatieff, the rector of Central European University, announced that the university would relocate to Vienna. For years, CEU had been a hub for liberals and scholars to share knowledge. However, Viktor Orbán passed a law in parliament intended to shut down this independent and academic institution. Following a lengthy legal battle, the CEU ultimately decided to concede.
Spreker
More in De Balie
Eva von Redecker and the freedom to stay
A radical new way to look at freedom
Eva von Redecker proposes a radical new way to look at freedom. Rather than focusing on space, she focusses on time. Rather than talking about the freedom to move, she talks about the freedom to stay.
De Balie Kijkt: History, Memory, Commemoration: Aceh
Talk including Iswanto Hartono and Hans van Houwelingen
Aceh is the second film in the series entitled History, Memory & Commemoration, a project that explores how to commemorate a shared colononial history together.
Who’s afraid of art? The silencing of European artists
With Matej Drlička and Milo Rau
More and more far right politicians in Europe are trying to silence artists and institutions. During this evening, we will discuss what kind of opposition can be formed against these developments.
