Iván Szelényi (1938-2026), a towering figure in sociology, one of the finest global intellectuals Hungary and Eastern Europe has ever produced, has died. Rest in peace and solidarity. 1/6

Hey Europe, here I come. Whirling across five countries, seven cities, ten talks over the next three weeks. I'm energized, but gonna need a break after. Topics: #democracy, #FarRight, #developmentalism, #environmentalism, #politicaleconomy. Hop in if you are around:

Sorry for the decadent Warholian self-duplication, but getting published in Greek is a nice first, I couldn't resist posting it along with the translation. Two new interviews out, one for the leading Greek daily, Ta Nea's 'Int' magazine supplement, and another for Caucasus Watch.

Honored to join Sari Hanafi on his podcast Connecting Social Research to Society (AUB & the Arab Council for the Social Sciences). A few weeks after hosting him at Georgetown, the conversation continued, this time with him in the host's chair. 1/5

New podcast on Hungary's morning after. We discuss what the post-Orbán transition tells us about Europe's far-right landscape, and why professional-class enthusiasm about the death of illiberalism is running ahead of structural reality. twentyfourtwo.substack.com/p/peter-magy...

🎙️ Pumpled (pumped & humbled) about two podcast episodes out today, both recorded with my dear friend and former party co-founder Kristóf Szombati in the aftermath of Viktor #Orbán's defeat. 🎧 kettering.org/hungary-afte... 🎧 kettering.org/hungary-afte...

Yesterday, I spoke to il manifesto and @aljazeera.com (Inside Story, a 25-minute segment with @rdanielkelemen.bsky.social) about tomorrow's elections, focusing on the economic exhaustion of the regime. 🎦Al Jazeera: www.aljazeera.com/video/inside... 📰 Il Manifesto: ilmanifesto.it/la-piazza-gi...

I was back on @tvpworld.bsky.social to talk about the economic fallout of the Iran war. A 15-minute interview, plus link to the underlying analysis: where are we and why is June the month that might transform this crisis from painful to catastrophic. Interview: www.youtube.com/watch?v=sXu4... 1/7

My new study is out with @feps-europe.eu. "Laboratories of Counter-Hegemony: Orbán, Trump and the Transatlantic Far-Right Ecosystem" maps the infrastructure that has turned a small Central European country into a launchpad for reorganizing the Western right. 🧵 1/9 👉 feps-europe.eu/publication/...

Polarization is not just a political problem. It is a health problem. If you agree, check out this Social Science & Medicines pecial issue, edited by @josephharrisbu.bsky.social and Nora Kenworthy on "Polarization and Health Policy in a Global Context." www.sciencedirect.com/special-issu...

USA under #Trump 2.0 emerging as the most rapidly #autocratizing country, finds @vdeminstitute.bsky.social 2026 Democracy Report. Speed of #backsliding outpaces the most paradigmatic cases. Scholars of Hun 🇭🇺,🇮🇳,🇷🇺,🇷🇸,🇹🇷 - now is the time to analyze American politics: 👉 www.v-dem.net/documents/75...

I did two interviews recently on the fallout from the #IranWar and what it means for #Europe and the #WorldEconomy, and wrote a more detailed analytical note on the war's economic consequences. Happy to share them here. 🧵 1/4

My analysis on #Europe and the #Iran war is just out on @socialeurope.bsky.social. Europe's response to the US-Israeli strikes on Iran exposes a continent locked in dependency and struggling to find its voice. 🧵👇 1/6 www.socialeurope.eu/spain-and-no...

This Friday, I'll be speaking at the symposium "Make Illiberalism Great Again" in Regensburg, exploring how a small state punches far above its weight globally. Organized by @sonjapriebus.bsky.social & @sudosteuropa.bsky.social, I'm glad to join @veghzsuzsanna.bsky.social and Ivana Ranković. 1/6

I have a new, open-access paper out in the European Journal of Sociology: “Commodification and Social Reproduction: Theory and Mixed-Method Evidence on the Effect of Privatization on Childbearing.” After a long journey, it’s finally published online. 1/10 👉 doi.org/10.1017/S000...

An interview with me about why liberal #democracies keep producing their own gravediggers is now out on @mediapart.fr, France's leading independent investigative outlet. #Illiberalism is a political reaction to the crisis of liberal #globalism. Details in French: blogs.mediapart.fr/edition/chro...

The US under Trump's second term is experiencing the steepest democratic backsliding in contemporary history, outpacing Russia, Turkey, and Hungary. But there's hope, too. Burn-Murdoch is probably the best data journalist today. His latest @financialtimes.com analysis is essential reading. 1/7

I have a cellular-level disrespect of disciplinary silos, so it was a pleasure to contribute a reflection piece to Current Anthropology, one of the field’s most prestigious generalist journals. The kind of cross-disciplinary conversation we need to have to better understand antiliberal politics.

I had the chance to join Your Call, the San Francisco based public affairs radio show on 91.7 FM KALW, for a conversation about what the U.S. can learn from Hungary’s slide into electoral autocracy. It was a real pleasure to do this together with one of Hungary’s finest journalists. 1/4

I look forward to joining this illustrious panel at the Budapest Forum on the causes of the #populist surge, kicked off by a keynote from Ivan Krastev, one of Europe’s foremost experts on #democracy. September 17, 13:45-15:00, Budapest, Nádor street 15. Program: budapestforum.org/understandin...

Work with us at Georgetown Qatar! We have 3 active open-rank searches across a broad range of topics and regional specializations in international & comparative politics. Ambitious and engaged students from around the world, 2-2 teaching load, generous research support. 👉 apply.interfolio.com/172432

I had a great conversation with Kai Schnier on his Un-American podcast about the causes and consequences of illiberalism and what Orbán’s Hungary can teach us about Trump’s second term. You can listen to the episode here: lnkd.in/dipXeevK #populism #democracy #Trump #Orban #illiberalism #polisky

It was an honor and a pleasure to discuss #authoritarian threats to #democracy with Steve Levitsky at the @kettering.org Democracy Conference this Monday in D.C. I'm grateful to the Kettering Foundation for making this global conversation possible. International #solidarity is the only way to go.

Glad to share my latest piece on the autocratic threat and why a lasting solution requires rethinking what democracy is. Democracy thrives when it includes. Out now on the Kettering Foundation blog, Resilience & Resistance. #Democracy #populism #illiberalism #polisky kettering.org/why-democrac...

When the #ultra-rich and #corporations have huge sway in government decisions and are able to operate without accountability, #democracy deteriorates. In this power punch essay, @kettering.org Democracy Fellow Koketso Moeti explores the implications for South Africa. 👉 kettering.org/the-age-of-t...

The democratic socialist @zohrankmamdani.bsky.social has beaten Cuomo and is now the Democrats’ nominee for Mayor of NYC, de facto Mayor-Elect. Democrats and liberals serious about defeating illiberalism better pay attention. There is a model for organizing the majority and saving democracy. 1/7

llliberalism is back in Poland, retaining control over the presidency. This means trouble for the re-democratization of Poland & the global fight for democracy. We must fundamentally rethink what democracy means to beat illiberalism. We need a transformative, people-centered vision. Link in comment.

I was happy to contribute to this deep dive into how Orban's attack on higher education has inspired Trump's politics toward universities. Brought to you by @joshuacoe.bsky.social @theworld.org, a public radio program and podcast based in Boston. 👉 Read and listen: theworld.org/stories/2025...

My op-ed on the politics of trade war @al-jazeera-english.bsky.social: The challenge is clear: not only to critique Trump’s #illiberal policies but to present a bold, coherent vision of industrial renewal, ecological #sustainability, and #GlobalJustice. www.aljazeera.com/opinions/202...

This is a must read @nytimes.com: In Romania, like elsewhere, behind the far right’s rise is economic insecurity. Yet far-right populists don't offer a truly different economic model, as they share an allegiance to the business class, just different parts of it. www.nytimes.com/2025/05/16/o...