Course Syllabus

Photo: Roman Koziel.

Course Description

Political transition in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) in 1989-1991, often referred to as the Autumn of Nations, brought an unprecedented expansion of liberal democracy across Eurasia. Over the course of the next two decades, many countries of the region anchored themselves in Transatlantic institutions and were gradually closing the development gap created during the socialist years. Others struggled more and developed a hybrid system where democratic instutitons were clouded by oligarchic practices, such as corruption and lack of transparency of public policymaking.

Market economy, however, led to new problems, such as unemployment, poverty and exclusion. This, together with rapid changes, has caused many turned to both left- and far-right political partiers, especially since the global financial crisis of 2008/2009. Subsequent crises - increased migration pressure onto the EU, COVID-19 and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine - have opened up public discourse for alternative takes on civil liberties, civilisational rhetoric, hard security questions and the role of Europe's relations with the rest of the world. Politicians like Marine le Pen, Viktor Orbán, Alexis Tsipras and Mateo Salvini have become an inherent part of public debate across Europe.

The course seeks to analyse the reasons behind populist movements' rise in Europe with particular emphasis on Central and Eastern Europe. Although their agenda might look very similar, they all have different roots, stemming from respective countries' and nations' history. They draw from different political traditions and seek inspiration in different, both past and present, phenomena. Altogether, they form a fascinating landscape of European politics and reflect fears, challenges and changes that the Europeans have experienced. The course's ambition is to link these elements with the ongoing political struggle in the United States so that populism can be presented as a wider political phenomenon.

The course builds heavily on current events. Thus, its structure is flexible to reflect dynamics on both sides of the Atlantic. In the previous semesters, lead topics were the general election in Poland and the formation of the new ruling coalition, European Parliament election across the EU and the rise of populist parties,  federal and regional elections in Germany, parliamentary election in Hungary and Russia's attempts to influence media space in many European countries.

The course revolves around five main topics:

1) Fundamental terms related to democracy and democratic governance.

2) Political, economic and social landscape of Central and Eastern Europe, including the democratic transition of 1989-1991.

3) Germany and the rise of Alternative fur Deutschland.

4) Hungary's Fidesz coming to power and its demise (2010-2026).

5) Poland's Law and Justice time in government (2015-2023).

6) Russia's discourse on so-called traditional values..

7) Ukraine's flawed democracy in times of kinetic war.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this course, they students will be able to identify main deficiencies of participatory democracy in European context. They will understand the historical roots of contemporary challenges in political, economic and social life of European societies, and will put them in academic context. They will be able to tell the difference between far-left and far-right populism in practical context.

The students will possess the tools to apply the following phenomena in the complex landscape of today's Europe:

• nationalism;
• conservatism;
• traditionalism;
• chauvinism;
• authoritarianism;
• totalitarianism;
• globalisation;
• far-left and far-right populism;
• national identity vs. globalisation.

Faculty

Miłosz J. Cordes

Ph.D. in Cultural Studies, M.A. in East-European Cultural Studies & International Relations, B.A. in History & International Relations. Research Fellow at the Danish Foreign Policy Society (2021-). Casimir Pulaski Foundation Non-Resident Fellow (2022-). External Consultant at the Danish Institute for International Studies (2023-24). Postdoctoral Researcher at Lund University (2022-23). Benjamin Franklin Transatlantic Fellow (2006).

Miłosz spent nine years in the Polish diplomatic service as, among others, Vice-Consul at Poland's Consulate General in Kaliningrad. Miłosz's research interests cover identity, politics of memory, nationalism & populism in Central and Eastern Europe, the Baltic Sea Region integration, as well as the West-Russia relations. He has published over 30 academic and public intellectual articles in international journals. In May 2024, he authored Denmark's first comprehensive report on Kaliningrad Oblast, commissioned and published by the Danish Institute of International Studies. In June 2025, his book Collective Memory in Post-Soviet Kaliningrad Oblast was published by Routledge.

Readings

Deszó, A. 2015. The secret life of Bela Kovacs, source: https://www.europeanpressprize.com/article/the-secret-life-of-bela-kovacs/

Grieder, P. 2012. The German Democratic Republic. Houndmills, Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan.

Huntington, S.P. 1991. Democracy's third wave. Journal of Democracy 2.2 (1991): 12–34.

Huntington, S. P. 1996. The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Various editions. 

Johansen, F. 2023. Spreeblitz. The Quest in Plänterwald. Skive: Forlaget Wunderbuch.

Lazar, M. 2021. European Populism, From Left to Right. Source: https://www.institutmontaigne.org/en/blog/european-populism-left-right

Lamrová, B. 2016. Zlom epochy Praha 1989 / The End of an Era Prague 1989. Praha: KANT.

Müller, J.-W. 2017. What is Populism? Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press.

Shekhovtsov, A. 2018. Russia and the Western Far Right. Tango Noir. London: Routledge.

Snyder, T. 2015. Bloodlands. Europe Between Hitler and Stalin. London: Vintage. 

Lousiana Museum od Modern Art. 2023. Velvet Terrorism - Pussy Riot's Russia. Exhibition catalogue. Humlebæk: Louisiana Museum of Modern Art.

Various OSCE Election Observation Mission handbooks.

Field Studies

This is an interactive and discussion-based course. It combines teacher lectures and classroom dialogue, with student-driven case studies and scenario building. To make abstract themes tangible and engaging, we will draw in visual and audio material: art, slogans, documentaries, campaign videos and clips from speeches and rallies.

Field studies, site visits, documentaries and guest speakers will form an integral part of the course. We will visit organisations dealing with election observation missions, as well as attend a workshop on disinformation. Since our field trips involve other institutions with their own agendas and timetables, we might have to introduce changes in our plans. I will be communicated in advance.

Guest Lecturers

Guest lectures will be professionals both from academia and politics. They will allow us to confront the theoretical knowledge we will have gathered during the course with reality on the ground. My intention is to have intellectually stimulating and controversial discussions.

Approach to Teaching

My teaching style is based on interaction with students. I employ different methods to make sure everybody in the class can feel their expectations and preferences are taken into account, such as: presentations, discussions, guest lectures, mock negotiations, movies, podcasts, classic readings, written assignments and field trips. The classes are dynamic and, although based on thorough preparations, they are never set in stone.

Evaluation & grading

This class will be interactive and driven by student participation. I expect all students to actively engage in discussions and will make room for occasional student presentations. The final grade will be based on:

Assignment	Percentage
Class attendance (roll call)	10%
Active course participation (in-class discussions, field studies)	20%
Short group presentation or other assignment during the semester	15%
In-class mid-term	25%
Final project (format and topic to be agreed upon in class)	30%

A detailed description of what is expected of students in order to earn a high grade in participation and simulation exercise will be provided at our first class session. Guidelines and expectations for different kinds of assignments will be outlined in Canvas under Assignments.

There is no possibility to obtain an A grade without active class participation.

Expectations of the Students

All students are expected to abide by the Code of Student Responsibility.

We will discuss mutual expectations and define active participation in detail during the first class.

The students are expected to actively participate in the classes not only by following the syllabus and do the readings, but also by employing their own interests and skills. This course seeks to unleash the students' potential in the way that they would feel most comfortable with.

By active participation, I mean intellectual engagement, openness to new ideas and seeking out more information in the way that is interesting to the students themselves. This can mean making use of the course in their future professional career. My role is to help create links between the two.

To facilitate communication between me and the group, we will elect two class representatives in the beginning of the semester. We will discuss their role during our first meeting.

Other Policies

Late arrival to class: less than 5 minutes - marked as 'present'; more than 5 and less than 15 minutes - marked as 'late'; more than 15 minutes - marked as 'absent'. All students are expected to come to class on time. Repeated late arrivals will result in a meeting with the lecturer.

Refer to DIS guidelines on prolonged absences.

Papers, presentations and other files handed in late will not be accepted. Make sure to check deadlines in Canvas.

The use of laptops is allowed only for taking notes except for when having guest speakers in class. The use of mobile phones in class is not allowed unless specified otherwise.