By weaving together the strands of democratic theory, constitutional studies, comparative political science, and social theory, the conference – organized by the Institute of Political and International Studies – seeks to explore the possible future of democratic politics following the current era of global democratic decline, or what has been described as the “fourth wave of autocratization".

There is ample academic work documenting these contemporary developments and even normative theory about democratic self-defense but it is a rather neglected question what a new age of democracy would look like after the current tide of de-democratization fades away. One thing we know for sure: democracy as a regime type has developed in the last two and a half century through a series of challenges and crisis situations and each period of crisis left a lasting impact on how democracy functioned after on. The second wave of democratization, for example, was a reflection of the experiences of totalitarianism, the third wave reflected the experiences of the encounters with classical autocracies and communist regimes. How are the current global developments going to affect the future of democracy? We need to be prepared, theoretically and methodologically, for this period and we will need to go beyond the negative experiences of democratic backsliding and democratic self-defense. To mention just a few problems: how differently will the current developments impact different regiones and countries? how will the classical 20th century party governments be affected? what will constitutional law learn to prepare democracy for a different future? what kinds of 21st century social, economic, environmental, technological challenges are going to shape the new era of democracy?

Program

THURSDAY

Opening remarks
9.15-9.30
Andrew Ryder (Director of Institute of Political and International Studies, ELTE)
Kriszta Kovács (Head of the Department of Human Rights and Politics, ELTE)

Democracy for the future

9.30- 10.00
Dániel Oross (ELTE): Democratic innovation

10.00-10.30
Matej Cibik (CEU): Legitimacy

10.30-11.00
Zoltán Gábor Szűcs-Zágoni (ELTE): A realist view of open democracy

11.00-11.30 
Discussion

11.30-12.00 
Break

What it takes to build a democracy?
Chair and moderator: Andrew Ryder (ELTE)

12.00-12.30
András Schweitzer (ELTE): From autocratization to democratization

12.30-13.00
Laura Kromják (ELTE): Adressing social traumas

13.15-13.45
Katalin Turai (ELTE): Does it still make sense to think about democratization in the context of nation-state? 

13.35-14.15
Tamás Meszerics (OSCE): Democracy support

14.15-14.45
Discussion

Transitional Justice and Possible Democratic Reconstruction in Hungary
Chair and Moderator: Balázs Majtényi (ELTE)

Opening Keynote
15:00–15:30 
Paul Blokker (University of Bologna): Democracy after Authoritarianism: Insights from the Debates on Transitology

15:30–16:00
Lilla Farkas (ELTE): From Stigmatization to Reconciliation: Recognising Harms and Rethinking Remedies after Authoritarianism

16:00–16:30
Eszter Berényi (ELTE) and Erzsébet Takács (ELTE): Bystanders under Authoritarianism: Everyday Adaptation, Compliance and Responsibility

16:30–17:00 
Discussion

FRIDAY

Alkotmányos újjáépítés: Az átmenettől egy új magyar alkotmányig 
9.30-11.00

A kerekasztal résztvevői:

• Halmai Gábor (ELTE, EUI)
• Kovács Kriszta (ELTE)
• Majtényi László, alkotmányjogász, korábbi adatvédelmi biztos
• Szentes Ágota (ELTE Társadalomtudományi Kutatóközpont)
• Moderátor: Kovács Ágnes (ELTE)

11.00-11.30 
Bálint Madlovics (CEU DI): From mafia state to democracy?

11.30-12.00
Andrea Szabó (ELTE) – András Bozóki (CEU) – Zoltán Gábor Szűcs-Zágoni (ELTE): Választási forradalom?

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