The Right Wing in Postcommunist Europe
On this episode of American Prestige, Maria Snegovaya discusses the rise of the populist right in postcommunist Europe.

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On this episode of American Prestige, Danny and Derek welcome to the pod Maria Sengovaya, senior fellow at the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, to talk about her book When Left Moves Right: The Decline of the Left and the Rise of the Populist Right in Postcommunist Europe. The explore what changed for the working class in Eastern Europe after the fall of communism, cases of the Left moving Right in Hungary and Poland, the role of austerity, the characterization of right wing parties vs. the reality, how left wing and centrist parties can offer meaningful alternatives to the Right, and more.
More of Maria’s work:
- “Populism and the Decline of Social Democracy” (with Sheri Berman), Journal of Democracy
- “How Ex-Communist Left Reformed and Lost,” West European Politics
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When Left Moves Right
On this episode of American Prestige, we’re joined by Maria Snegovaya, senior fellow at the Europe, Russia, and Eurasia Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies and adjunct professor at Georgetown University’s Walsh School of Foreign Service, to talk about her book When Left Moves Right: The Decline of the Left and the Rise of the Populist Right in Postcommunist Europe. We explore what changed for the working class in Eastern Europe after the fall of communism, the cases of the left moving right in Hungary and Poland, the role of austerity, the characterization of right-wing parties vs. the reality, how left-wing and centrist parties can offer meaningful alternatives to the right, and more.
More of Maria’s work:
- “Populism and the Decline of Social Democracy” (with Sheri Berman), Journal of Democracy
- “How Ex-Communist Left Reformed and Lost,” West European Politics

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Jolly Saint Nick is giving the U.S. government lots of coal this year, a boon to fossil fuel companies. In this week’s news: Thailand–Cambodia fighting resumes despite Trump’s ceasefire claim (1:52); an Israeli airstrike in Gaza threatens what remains of the ceasefire (6:00), and a winter storm devastates Gaza as Israel continues blocking shelter materials and aid (9:10); Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council prepares to declare a new government amid Saudi threats (12:08); the U.S. approves the largest-ever arms package to Taiwan (16:10); China reportedly unveils a prototype advanced chipmaking tool (18:18); the Bondi Beach attack in Australia has possible Islamic State links (19:48); a New America Foundation report documents extensive U.S. airstrikes in Somalia (22:01); M23 announces its withdrawal from Uvira in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo (24:49); Ukraine peace talks continue as the war nears its fourth year, including disputes over Kupiansk (27:59); Chile elects far-right president José Antonio Kast (32:23); the U.S. escalates pressure on Venezuela with military deployments and a partial oil blockade (33:27); and Congress passes a $901 billion National Defense Authorization Act, including a repeal of Syria’s Caesar Act and changes to Selective Service registration (41:40).
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