Bulent Kenes

📢 ECPS Interview 🇮🇱 Assoc. Prof. Noam Gidron: Without Cooperation with Arab Parties, Netanyahu’s Opposition Cannot Secure a Knesset Majority ✍️ Interview by Selcuk Gultasli 🗳️ Israel’s October 27 elections have produced a striking political paradox: Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition has lost its parliamentary majority, yet the opposition remains unable to form an alternative government without cooperation from Arab parties. 🎓 In an in-depth interview with the European Center for Populism Studies (ECPS), Associate Professor Noam Gidron (@NoamGidron) of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem examines the electoral implications of Arab political mobilization, entrenched affective polarization, the resilience of Netanyahuism, and the institutional vulnerabilities of Israeli democracy. 💬 “As long as the bloc opposing Netanyahu refuses to work with the Arab parties ... it is difficult to see how it can secure a majority in the Knesset.” 🔍 Drawing on his extensive research, Professor Gidron explores several critical developments: 🔹 Arab Electoral Mobilization: Why rising turnout among Palestinian citizens of Israel is reshaping coalition politics. 🔹 Populism and the Radical Right: Why Likud has become increasingly similar to European radical-right parties, including Germany’s AfD, on measures of populism. 🔹 Affective Polarization: Why even the exceptional security threats following October 7 failed to reduce hostility between Israel’s political blocs. 🔹 The Decline of the Israeli Left: How demographic shifts, party competition, and political leadership have contributed to Labour’s long-term electoral marginalization. 🔹 Democratic Backsliding: What Israel’s fragile constitutional arrangements and the judicial overhaul reveal about the challenges of protecting liberal democracy. ⚖️ As Israel confronts coalition deadlock, competing national identities, and continuing regional instability, Assoc. Prof. Gidron offers a scholarly assessment of the structural forces shaping its political future. 💬 “Fighting for democracy, particularly liberal democracy, is itself polarizing. But it is still a fight worth fighting.” 📕 Read the full interview: 🔗 populismstudies.org/assoc-pr… #ECPS #NoamGidron #IsraelElections2026 #IsraeliPolitics #Netanyahu #Netanyahuism #Populism #AffectivePolarization #ArabPoliticalParticipation #CoalitionPolitics #DemocraticBacksliding #LiberalDemocracy #RadicalRight #PoliticalScience #MiddleEastPolitics

📢 ECPS Panel Report & VIDEO 🎥📚 🇺🇸 Trumpism, Democratic Resilience, and the Rise of Democratic Socialism: ECPS Panel Examines the Stakes of the 2026 US Midterm Elections 🗳️ 🔎 Can electoral defeats of populist leaders restore democratic resilience—or do they merely perpetuate cycles of political polarization, economic disillusionment, and democratic backsliding? 📌Ahead of the November 3 US midterm elections, European Center for Populism Studies (ECPS) brought together four distinguished scholars on Thursday, October 29, 2026, for a comparative and interdisciplinary examination of the forces reshaping American democracy. 👨‍🎓 Moderator: Prof. Lane Kenworthy | University of California, San Diego 👨‍🎓👩‍🎓 Distinguished Panelists: 👨‍🎓 Prof. Michael Kazin (@mkazin) | Georgetown University Explored the resurgence of democratic socialism, its historical foundations, and its influence on the Democratic Party's progressive economic agenda. 👩‍🎓 Prof. Sheri Berman | Barnard College, Columbia University Examined declining support for Trumpism, the electoral consequences of economic insecurity and corruption, and the recurring cycle of populist disillusionment. 👩‍🎓 Prof. Jennifer McCoy (@jlynnmccoy) | Georgia State University Analyzed pernicious political polarization, democratic erosion, and the institutional and socioeconomic reforms necessary for sustainable democratic renewal. 👨‍🎓 Prof. Andrew Karch | University of Minnesota Highlighted the often-overlooked importance of American federalism, state-level elections, electoral administration, and institutional checks on presidential power. 💡 Central Insight: Defeating populist incumbents does not necessarily eliminate the grievances that sustain populism. Democratic resilience requires more than electoral alternation: it depends on institutional accountability, credible economic alternatives, inclusive political representation, and renewed public trust. 🎦 Watch the video of the panel: 🔗 youtube.com/watch?v=XCKmLeXc… 📖 Read the full ECPS panel report for detailed scholarly analyses, comparative perspectives, and insights from the Q&A discussions. 🔗 populismstudies.org/trumpism… #ECPS #USMidterms2026 #Trumpism #DemocraticResilience #DemocraticSocialism #Populism #DemocraticBacksliding #PoliticalPolarization #AmericanPolitics #Federalism #DemocraticRenew

🎥 ECPS Interview / VIDEO 🇺🇸 Prof. Lester Spence: In the United States, Democracy Goes as Black People Go ✍️ Interview by Selcuk Gultasli 🗳️ As the United States approaches the November 3 midterm elections, what does the struggle over Black political rights reveal about the future of American democracy? ▶️ Watch our in-depth video interview with Professor Lester K. Spence, Professor of Political Science and Africana Studies at Johns Hopkins University, who offers a historically grounded analysis of Trumpism, racial hierarchies, political economy, and democratic backsliding. 💬 “In the United States, democracy goes as Black people go.” Professor Spence argues that the erosion of Black political rights has consequences extending far beyond Black communities, threatening the institutional foundations of American democracy itself. 🔎 Key themes explored in the interview: 🔹 Trumpism and racial resentment: The historical roots of racialized populism, economic insecurity, and transformations of American capitalism. 🔹 Democratic backsliding: The relationship between white supremacy, racial hierarchies, and competing democratizing and authoritarian tendencies. 🔹 Voting rights under pressure: The weakening of the Voting Rights Act, electoral gerrymandering, and the future of Black political representation. 🔹 Black populism and neoliberalism: The limitations of electoral representation without structural reform and substantive economic empowerment. 🔹 Grassroots mobilization: The political legacies of Black Lives Matter and Occupy Wall Street and the emergence of durable progressive institutions. 🔹 Democratic renewal: The potential of cross-racial solidarity, working-class coalitions, and institutional transformation. ⚖️ Professor Spence warns: “When you weaken or effectively neutralize the Voting Rights Act, you're not just undermining its protections for Black people; you're essentially undermining those protections for everybody.” 🌍 Beyond the immediate electoral contest, this conversation examines a fundamental question: Can American democracy remain resilient if the political rights of Black Americans continue to be weakened? 🎬 Watch the video interview and explore Professor Spence's insights into the future of American democracy. 🎥 🔗 youtube.com/watch?v=fqpeOO2K… 📖 Read the full interview: 🔗 populismstudies.org/prof-spe… #ECPS #LesterSpence #USMidterms2026 #AmericanDemocracy #DemocraticBacksliding #Trumpism #BlackPoliticalEmpowerment #BlackPopulism #VotingRights #RacialJustice #PoliticalEconomy #BlackLivesMatter #WhiteSupremacy #CrossRacialSolidarity #Democracy

🔴 WE ARE LIVE! | ECPS Panel on US Midterm Has Started! 🇺🇸 📢 Trumpism, Democratic Resilience, and the Rise of Democratic Socialism 🗳️ As the United States approaches the November 3 midterm elections, our ECPS panel is now underway! 🎓 Leading scholars are examining the forces reshaping American democracy—from Trumpism and political polarization to the revival of democratic socialism, electoral competition, and the growing importance of state-level politics. 📅 Thursday, October 29, 2026 ⏰ 14:00–16:00 CET 💻 Live via Zoom 🎙️ Moderator 👨‍🎓 Professor Lane Kenworthy — University of California, San Diego 🎤 Distinguished Speakers 👩‍🎓 Professor Sheri Berman — Barnard College, Columbia University 📌 The 2026 Midterms in Comparative Perspective: Shifting Support for Trumpism and the Issues Reshaping the Electoral Landscape 👨‍🎓 Professor Michael Kazin (@mkazin)— Georgetown University 📌 Explaining the Socialist Revival in the US 👩‍🎓 Professor Jennifer McCoy (@jlynnmccoy)— Georgia State University 📌 Democratic Resilience Amid Pernicious Political Polarization 👨‍🎓 Professor Andrew Karch — University of Minnesota 📌 Beyond Washington, DC: American Federalism and the Midterms ⚡ The discussion is happening now! ⁉️What do the 2026 midterms reveal about the future of American democracy? How resilient are democratic institutions amid deepening polarization? What explains the resurgence of democratic socialism, and how are state-level political dynamics reshaping the electoral landscape? 🌍 Join our live discussion and engage with these critical questions! 🔗 Join us via Zoom — Registration: us02web.zoom.us/meeting/regi… 📕 Panel details: populismstudies.org/ecps-pan… #ECPS #USMidterms #Midterms2026 #Trumpism #Populism #Democracy #DemocraticResilience #PoliticalPolarization #DemocraticSocialism #AmericanPolitics #Federalism #Elections #PoliticalScience #SheriBerman #MichaelKazin #JenniferMcCoy #AndrewKarch #LaneKenworthy

📢 ECPS Interview 🇺🇸 Prof. Lester Spence: In the United States, Democracy Goes as Black People Go ✍️ Interview by Selcuk Gultasli 🗳️ As Americans approach the November 3 midterm elections, what does the struggle over Black political rights reveal about the future of American democracy? 🎓 In an in-depth interview with the European Center for Populism Studies (ECPS), Professor Lester K. Spence of Johns Hopkins University offers a compelling scholarly analysis of Trumpism, racial hierarchies, political economy, and democratic backsliding. 💬 “In the United States, democracy goes as Black people go,” Professor Spence argues, emphasizing that the erosion of Black political rights has consequences for democratic institutions and political participation far beyond Black communities. 🔎 The interview explores: 🔹 Trumpism's historical roots in racial resentment, economic insecurity, and transformations of capitalism. 🔹 The relationship between white supremacy, racialized political hierarchies, and democratic backsliding. 🔹 The weakening of the Voting Rights Act, electoral redistricting, and the future of Black political representation. 🔹 Black populism, neoliberalism, and the limits of electoral representation without substantive economic empowerment. 🔹 The institutional legacies of Black Lives Matter and Occupy Wall Street, alongside emerging possibilities for cross-racial and working-class solidarity. ⚖️ Professor Spence warns: “When you weaken or effectively neutralize the Voting Rights Act, you're not just undermining its protections for Black people; you're essentially undermining those protections for everybody.” 🌍 Moving beyond electoral competition, the conversation examines how grassroots mobilization, democratic accountability, and institutional transformation might reshape the relationship between racial justice and American democracy. 📖 Read the full interview: 🔗 populismstudies.org/prof-spe… #ECPS #LesterSpence #USMidterms2026 #AmericanDemocracy #DemocraticBacksliding #Trumpism #BlackPoliticalEmpowerment #BlackPopulism #VotingRights #RacialJustice #PoliticalEconomy #BlackLivesMatter #WhiteSupremacy #CrossRacialSolidarity #Democracy