20/10/2025 - Populism and the politics of energy transition in Europe and beyond
This guest lecture will look at the impact of populism on climate action and decarbonization, both in their domestic and international dimensions. Earlier research tried to anticipate what that impact may be; with time, we learned more about the actual influence of populist political forces – both in opposition and in government – on energy and climate policy.When: 20. 10. 2025, 16:30-17:50
Where: Room 206, MUP Prague-Strašnice
Speaker: Kacper Szulecki
As of 2024 we are witnessing a ‘second wave of populism’ in Europe and the US – after a series of successful recaptures (USA, Slovakia, Czech Republic, and finally Poland) we know that populism can be wrestled out of power with short-term solutions (and because of the experience of populists in government), but it is not going away.
Amidst fears of illiberal populists returning ever stronger – as they already have in the US or Slovakia – there is a need to map the griefs and grievances that remain at its core. Although populist parties that were in power in EU countries had a much less visible negative impact on ambitious climate action than was initially anticipated, the fight against climate change may be more difficult in the future, not least since many low-hanging fruits have already been harvested and future action is likely to affect households more directly and painfully.
Speaker: Kacper Szulecki, Research Professor in International Climate Governance at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) and Professor II at the Centre for Global Sustainability, University of Oslo. He is also the co-chair of the ECPR Standing Group on Energy Politics, Policy and Governance, and a fellow at the Open Society Hub for the Politics of the Anthropocene at CEU Vienna.
News
Final Workshop & Book Launch in Szeged
17. 9. 2025 Author: Ladislav Cabada
Metropolitan University Prague was represented by Professor Cabada, Vice-Rector of MUP, co-investigator of the project “Urban Post-COVID Recovery in the V4 Countries” and co-editor of the book “Urban Responses to the Covid-19 Pandemic” at a conference at the University of Szeged in Hungary on 11–12 September 2025.
Populism, Foreign Policy, and a Week of Intense Debate: PhD Summer School at MUP
9. 6. 2025 Author: Šárka Kolmašová
From June 2 to 6, the Center for Security Studies (C4SS) at Metropolitan University Prague hosted a week-long Doctoral Summer School under the Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Programme (BIP), taking on one of today’s most urgent political questions: How is populism reshaping foreign and security policy in Central and Eastern Europe? The event gathered PhD students from Poland, Slovakia, Lithuania, Portugal, and Bulgaria, each bringing fresh insights and case studies from their own regions. Across five packed days—and two preparatory online sessions—participants dissected narratives, analyzed media, pitched research, and explored publishing strategies with a lineup of top-tier scholars.
South Africa and Beyond – An International Student Trade Fair at MUP
19. 5. 2025 Author: Tereza Němečková
On Tuesday, 13 May 2025, we had the honour of welcoming students from the Tshwane School for Business and Society, our partner university in South Africa, who participated in an international student trade fair organized by the African Studies Centre and the Department of International Business.