In the second episode of the Political Science Podcast, we spoke with political scientist Nenad Zakošek. After an introductory explanation of the political causes of social inequality and reflections on nationalism and local power structures in Croatia, the focus of the first part of the conversation was on the disappointment of citizens and distrust in institutions, especially in Eastern Europe, which leads to authoritarian policies. In the second part of the conversation, Zakošek linked the crisis of democracy with the challenges of governance during the pandemic. The pandemic exacerbated existing dilemmas and led to additional political polarization in societies. Zakošek pointed out that some political entrepreneurs exacerbate the problem of mistrust in political institutions and feed the illusion that complex problems can be reduced to simple alternatives. He also gave his view of the relationship between citizens and experts in good governance and, in the last part of the conversation, reflected on the development of political science in Croatia, emphasizing the values of its international connection and professional independence.
The episode can be listened to on Anchor.fm, HPD's YouTube channel or at Spotify:
