Populist forces in Europe are on the rise with parties like the National Rally in France and the Polish Law and Justice enjoying significant support of the population. While these parties often...Show morePopulist forces in Europe are on the rise with parties like the National Rally in France and the Polish Law and Justice enjoying significant support of the population. While these parties often focus on issues of immigration or security, their stance on LGBT rights is often less clear. Mudde's ideational approach describes populism as a “thin-centred ideology” dividing society into “the elite” and “the people,” implying that populists believe that there is no need for minority protection as the people are seen as “homogenous.” Populist parties in Western Europe, however, sometimes use LGBT rights to argue against immigration. As this trend seems to be absent from Eastern Europe, a “rainbow curtain” that divides LGBT-friendly and unfriendly populist parties could be drawn. This thesis challenges the assumption that Eastern European populism automatically opposes LGBT rights, focusing on the Czech populist movement Action of Dissatisfied Citizens (ANO). Using a discursive approach that does not assume that populists are against minority protection, the thesis examines ANO's attitudes towards LGBT rights on online news platforms and social media discourse from 2013 to 2024, with a focus on Prague Pride, same-sex adoption, and marriage, and ANO's relationship with Hungarian Fidesz. The analysis shows that ANO's attitudes are ambiguous, influenced by the politician asked (liberal vs. conservative members), timing (early enthusiastic support vs. later disregard or opposition), specific rights (same-sex unions vs. marriage and adoption), and platform (news vs. social media). Two main explanations follow from the primary source analysis. ANO's catch-all strategy to attract diverse voters and its use of LGBT rights to polarise and split the governing coalition.Show less
Trilemma of the World Economy was introduced by Dani Rodrik in order to explain conflicting nature of the existing democratic consensus between the populous and the state in the highly integrated...Show moreTrilemma of the World Economy was introduced by Dani Rodrik in order to explain conflicting nature of the existing democratic consensus between the populous and the state in the highly integrated economic environments such as the European Union. The same theoretical outlook was applied into analysis of Central and Eastern European States socioeconomic conditions amidst accession into Eurozone to showcase how European Monetary Integration works against CEE states ability to 'catch up' with the West. Qualitative Comparative Analysis will explain to what extent the knowledge of the above mentioned pattern discouraged Poland and Hungary to join the EMU.Show less
Lajos Kassák (1887-1967) was tijdens zijn verblijf in Wenen in de jaren twintig van de vorige eeuw een spil binnen het avantgarde netwerk. Hij maakte beeldende kunst, was aanvoerder van de...Show moreLajos Kassák (1887-1967) was tijdens zijn verblijf in Wenen in de jaren twintig van de vorige eeuw een spil binnen het avantgarde netwerk. Hij maakte beeldende kunst, was aanvoerder van de Hongaarse avantgarde, richtte het avantgarde tijdschrift MA op en had contacten met avantgarde kunstenaars in West-Europa, waaronder Theo van Doesburg en László Moholy Nagy. Kassák was een netwerker en had een neus voor wat er gaande was in de kunstwereld op dat moment; Buch neuer Künstler is daar een bewijs van. In Nederland werden eind 2013 twee werken Kassák tentoongesteld tijdens de tentoonstelling Utopia 1900-1940 Visies op een Nieuwe Wereld in de Lakenhal. Ook bezit het Gemeentemuseum Den Haag enkele stukken van Kassáks hand. Ondanks dat werk van Kassák enkele malen in ons land is tentoongesteld blijft hij hier vrij onbekend. In mijn ogen onterecht, want met zijn verdiensten binnen de historische avantgarde is een betere plaats voor Lajos Kassák in het tijdgewricht zeker gerechtvaardigd.Show less
