Aufhebunga Bunga

On corruption, charisma, populism & assassination in Slovakia. Slovak sociologist Dominik Zelinksy joins us to discuss Slovakia's positioning between East and West. We discuss: Why was Prime Minister Robert Fico a target of an assassination attempt? Whether Fico – not a zany outsider but a competent insider – is a "populist" Why Slovaks are not so anti-Russian, and why they are sceptical of NATO How has anti-corruption politics played a role What is "charismatic mimicry" and why have Western leaders aped Ukraine's Zelenskyy? Links: Slovakia's election: "more than a fight between democracy and autocracy", Dominik Zelinsky, LeftEast Assassination Attempt Prompts Soul-Searching in Slovakia, Jakub Bokes, Jacobin Slovakia’s Election Result Is About Declining Living Standards, Not Just Ukraine, Jakub Bokes, Jacobin Charismatic Mimicry: Innovation and Imitation in the Case of Volodymyr Zelensky, Paul Joosse & Dominik Zelinsky, Sociological Theory. Thread on Twitter/X about the article