About the Event

The politics of history is a central arena of political conflict between liberal, conservative, and populist forces, including—and especially—in the Visegrád countries. The question of what is commemorated is closely linked to issues of national identity, traditional values, and European integration. How historical conflicts are addressed, in turn, influences relations with other countries. In this respect, the politics of history affects not only cultural policy but also domestic and foreign policy. Populists often exploit history to polarize society, framing a critical reappraisal of their own history as an attack on national heroes and policies of reconciliation as subservience to historical adversaries. Historical politics thus possesses considerable disruptive potential, even for policy areas that are otherwise unrelated.

But why has it, in particular, become a battleground for liberal and populist ideas and identity politics? Why does national history play such a major role in the Visegrád states? And: Are the lines of conflict between liberal, conservative, and populist forces really as clear-cut as outlined above? We will discuss these questions in the second event of our series: Liberalism – Conservatism – Populism in East Central Europe.

Speakers

• Felix Krawatzek, SCRIPTS

• Magdalena Marsovszky, University of Cologne

• Matěj Spurný, Charles University in Prag

• Moderator: Stephan Stach, Center for Liberal Modernity

About the Series

Liberalism – Conservatism – Populism in East Central Europe: Political Divisions and the Transformation of Political Culture in the Visegrád States: Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic, and Hungary

It is difficult to pinpoint the political orientation of the Visegrád States (V4) and their societies between liberalism, conservatism, and authoritarian populism. For years, political majorities have fluctuated between these positions, usually by narrow margins. In Poland, the liberal Civic Platform defeated the national-conservative PiS in 2023. However, the PiS candidate went on to win the 2025 presidential election. In Slovakia, left-wing nationalist Robert Fico returned to power in 2023 after a five-year hiatus. The Czech populist ANO party lost to a liberal-conservative coalition in 2021, only to triumph again in 2025. Only in Hungary did Viktor Orbán’s “illiberal democracy” appear stable for a long time—until Péter Magyar forced him out of office in April after 16 years.

For a long time, this volatility was considered unique to post-communist states. Now, however, similar processes are emerging in many parts of Europe. So were these merely early signs of developments that are now regarded as general symptoms of a crisis in liberal democracy? With this event series, we aim to paint a nuanced picture of the sociopolitical developments in these regions and shed light on the causes of these swings: What role do regional characteristics play? What are the pan-European trends? To this end, we will examine socioeconomic factors and historical experiences as well as the impact of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine.