International conference WHAT KIND OF GOVERNMENT? Thinking Contemporary Forms of Government (Historical and Conceptual Perspectives)

On the occasion of the 30th Anniversary of Peace Institute we kindly invite you to international conference WHAT KIND OF GOVERNMENT? Thinking Contemporary Forms of Government (Historical and Conceptual Perspectives), 2-4 June 2021, National Museum of Slovenia – Metelkova, Ljubljana.

The current rise in populism and racism, the criminalisation of migration, building walls on borders, widespread corruption, attacks on the traditional division of powers, control over the media and organised lying, enlarged police powers, etc., are dismissed as the unhappy returns of “fascism”, while techno-managerial governance is usually conceived of as a sign of neoliberal “post-politics”. It seems, therefore, that it is increasingly difficult to answer the question as to the nature and form of many corrupt, undemocratic, oppressive, and abusive governments progressively emerging around the globe, now at the beginning of the 21^st century. However, with few exceptions, a more profound reflection of what kind of government will materialise from these phenomena seems to remain highly “repressed” when it comes to these issues. It seems as if we are faced with a new type of power and a new type of government that evade conceptualisation. Is it just “a bad government”, “a failed state”, “an illiberal democracy”? Or should one label it “a new tyranny”? Fascism? Totalitarianism? Dictatorship? Authoritarianism? Sovereignism? Trumpism? Orbanism, etc.? These are just a few of the highlights that will be addressed by an international team of scientists participating in the conference.