Antonis Klapsis is an Assistant Professor of Diplomacy and International Organization at the Department of Political Science and International Relations at the University of the Peloponnese. He is the Academic Coordinator of the Centre of International and European Political Economy and Governance at the same Department. He is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Hellenic Parliament Foundation for Parliamentarism and Democracy, as well as the Academic Council of the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies. He is the author of eight books and co-author of another three, has edited two and co-edited another six collective volumes, and has published numerous articles in peer reviewed academic journals and contributed volumes. He serves as the alternate representative of Greece at the “Observatory on History Teaching in Europe” of the Council of Europe. His research interests include history of international relations, European integration, as well as the various aspects of political extremism and authoritarianism. His book An Unholy Alliance: The European Far Right and Putin’s Russia (Brussels: Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, 2015) was one of the first studies focusing on the examination and analysis of multiple forms of connections between Russia and far-right political parties in Europe.
Thursday 11
19.50 - 20.30
From Margins to Mainstream: The Far Right's Threat in European Politics
Artemis Hall | European Cultural Centre of Delphi
Programming Partners: Wilfried Martens Center for European Studies & Konstantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy
Populism and far-right extremism are not novel phenomena within European societies and politics. On the contrary, their deep roots in history have led to catastrophic outcomes for European nations. Ongoing wars in our neighboring regions, global economic challenges, and an unprecedented wave of immigration have strained the cultural, social, and religious cohesion of European societies, making the far-right ideology appear as a seemingly rational political alternative. Across Europe, extreme right-wing parties have either already gained significant support or are poised to do so in various types of elections. This time, the far-right threat is tangible. This panel, organized by the Martens Centre and the Konstantinos Karamanlis Institute for Democracy, will focus on these developments and endeavor to address some of the most pressing questions for the European Union in light of the formation of the new European Parliament.