PhD Positions, Charles University, Czech Republic (2018)

The Institute of International Studies at Charles University is seeking to appoint four high-calibre Early Stage Researchers (ESR) to join the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Innovative Training Network on ‘Delayed Transformational Fatigue in Central and Eastern Europe: Responding to the Rise of Illiberalism/Populism’ (FATIGUE).

Following the collapse of state socialism, the liberalisation of public life, democratisation of politics, abolition of state-run economies and the introduction of markets commenced in the states of the former Soviet bloc. These necessary yet socially costly transformations never ran smoothly and in the same direction in all the post-communist states but by the mid-2000s the most successful countries, clustered in Central Europe and the Baltic, seemed to have managed to consolidate liberal democracy. Then something snapped. The political trajectory veered off in new directions as populist parties started gaining more support. All populists engage in delegitimising the democratic system in the name of unconstrained majoritarianism. Now we have two cases (Hungary and Poland) where right-wing populists are in power and dismantling the institutions of checks and balances, and cases where the dominance of technocratic or left populists (Czechia, Slovakia) seems to risk democratic erosion. FATIGUE aims to explain and interpret this puzzling U-turn, reflect on its delayed emergence, diagnose its consequences and propose viable policy solutions.15 ESRs will be appointed at six partner universities.

Further details at the attached files: