Mikhail Viktorovich Zygar is a journalist, historian, and bestselling author, known for his work on Russian politics, propaganda, and authoritarianism. He was the founding editor-in-chief of TV Rain (Dozhd), Russia's only independent news television channel, which became a critical voice against state censorship before he was forced into exile.
Zygar is the author of several internationally acclaimed books, including All the Kremlin's Men, a bestseller that provides an insider's account of Vladimir Putin's inner circle; The Empire Must Die, a deeply researched narrative on the fall of the Russian Empire and the revolutionary forces of the early 20th century; and War and Punishment, which was named one of The New Yorker's best nonfiction books of 2023. His books have been translated into multiple languages and are widely used in academic and journalistic discussions on Russia.
His latest book, The future that never came. How the collapse of the Soviet Union continues to have an impact today (The Future That Never Came: How the Collapse of the Soviet Union Continues to Resonate Today), will be published by Aufbau Verlag in mid-May. Zygar explains why the Soviet Union did not simply disappear, why the Cold War never truly ended, and how imperial myths and nationalist ideas from the Soviet era continue to influence the war against Ukraine today. Above all, he reveals how these ideologies paved the way for today's authoritarian system.
Since relocating to the United States, Zygar has become a leading commentator on Russian affairs, regularly contributing op-eds to The New York Times, Time Magazine, Vanity Fair, Foreign Affairs, and The Washington Post. He is also a frequent guest on CNN, providing expert analysis on Russia and global politics. In 2018, he was a TED Fellow and delivered a TED Talk on history, propaganda and disinformation.
He has lectured at leading universities, including Harvard, MIT, Columbia, Georgetown, and Stanford. In 2024, he taught at Princeton University's School of Public and International Affairs.
Philipp Blom Philipp Blom (born in 1970 in Hamburg, Germany) is a historian and the author of several novels, as well as journalistic, political, and philosophical works. He also works as a radio host, documentary filmmaker, and public lecturer.
MQ Talks
Curated and moderated by Philipp Blom, historian and journalist, we bring internationally renowned intellectuals, academics and cultural figures to the stage of the “Libelle”, the roof-top of the MuseumsQuartier.
The cooperation between MQ and the RD Foundation enables us to do so.
The events take place in the MQ Libelle at MuseumsQuartier, Museumsplatz 1, 1070 Vienna.
An event as part of our focus on FALSE PATRIOTS - THE OPEN SOCIETY AND ITS ENEMIES
„An equally well-founded and sober analysis - precise, accessible and without any alarmism. The author structures complex contexts clearly and thus offers a valuable basis for categorising right-wing movements - both nationally and internationally.“
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, Laura Gabler
Everything that is right-wing: „What populists want“ was precisely mapped by Marcel Lewandowsky in his already „classic“ book from 2024. The language and propaganda tricks of the ultra-right, who today no longer present themselves as advocates of authoritarianism, but as the voice of the people and preachers of a vague kind of „real democracy“. Now the researcher analyses the „global right“, what unites them, what divides them, how the heterogeneous embodiments of resentment and resentment differ.
Parties and movements of the radical and extreme right are on the road to success. They are winning elections, forming governments and influencing public debates. Right-wing populist parties that ostensibly affirm democracy are paving the way for far-right issues and actors to enter institutions and discourse. Where they are in power, democracy and the rule of law are affected. Political scientist Marcel Lewandowsky traces the history of the far right after the Second World War, explains the reasons for their recent successes and discusses their impact on democracy.
Marcel Lewandowsky, born in 1982, is a political scientist and author. He has worked at the University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg, the University of Greifswald and the University of Florida, among others, and conducts research on the topics of populism, democracy and political parties.
Moderation
Robert Misik, Author and journalist
Marcel Lewandowsky:
THE GLOBAL RIGHT. History, conditions for success, effects
C.H. Beck Verlag, 2025, 12,00 €
Marcel Lewandowsky:
WHAT POPULISTS WANT. How they challenge society - and how they should be countered
Kiepenheuer und Witsch Verlag, Cologne 2024. 336 pages, EUR 20.00
Plea in favour of international law and human rights
"Kaleck's new non-fiction book shows that international law has power. "taz
Russia's attack on Ukraine, the escalation of the Middle East conflict after 7 October, Israel's attack on Iran - these are just a few, albeit decisive, developments in recent years that show how the »old« international order is eroding and international law and human rights are being increasingly disregarded. In this much-vaunted turning point, the fundamental question arises as to whether international law is strong enough to withstand this storm or whether the law of the jungle will simply apply in future.
Wolfgang Kaleck, one of the most internationally renowned human rights lawyers, argues in this pamphlet that international law and human rights must not be put up for discussion, precisely because, despite all the ambivalences, shocks and setbacks, they essentially represent immense progress on the path to a fairer world. It not only reminds us that the dream of »perpetual peace« was born out of the trauma of war, but also shows how necessary it is right now to hold on to this »utopian project«, which reforms of international law and its institutions could strengthen it and how and with whom we can fight for it together.
Wolfgang Kaleck founded the human rights organisation European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights (ECCHR) in Berlin in 2007 and has been its Secretary General ever since. He is the author of several books, including »Die konkrete Utopie der Menschenrechte« (2021) and »Law versus Power« (2018). He has been awarded the Hermann Kesten Prize of the PEN Centre Germany and the Max Friedländer Prize of the Bavarian Bar Association, among others, and works on numerous projects with the Akademie der Künste in Berlin, the Haus der Kulturen der Welt, the Magnum Foundation, Galerie Autograph and other cultural institutions.
Muna Duzdar, lawyer, SPÖ member of the National Council and spokesperson for the constitution
Moderation Robert Misik, Author and journalist
Wolfgang Kaleck:
The strength of the law vs. the law of the strongest
Kunstmann Verlag, March 2026, 21,50 €
Will green technologies and renewable energy save us from climate change? While public policies increasingly focus on a “clean” energy transition, the discussion shifts away from the vexing dilemmas of raw materials supply chains. Minerals such as coltan, lithium and others are necessary to produce the technology needed for an energy transition, from batteries to windmills. However, their extraction often has serious environmental and social consequences.
In her book “Extraction: the Frontiers of Green Capitalism”, Thea Riofrancos explores the production of lithium, a critical resource for renewable energy storage, electric transportation and many other uses. Its mining is responsible for water depletion, chemical pollution, habitat and biodiversity loss. In production countries, environmental and Indigenous movements contest the rapid expansion of extraction, defending ecosystems, livelihoods and waterways already under pressure from global warming. Thea Riofrancos’ book tells the story of how a critical mineral became the focus of a worldwide battle over the future of green energy and, by extension, capitalism. This battle has become part of geopolitics as growing energy requirements linked to transport, digitalisation, and recently AI and military technologies have unleashed an ever-increasing rush for the extraction of minerals.
Opening Remarks: Irene Horejs, Former EU Ambassador, Curator, Bruno Kreisky Forum for International Dialogue
Keynote: Thea Riofrancos is an associate professor of political science at Providence College, Rhode Island, co-director of the Climate Community Institute and a fellow at the Transnational Institute. She is the author of several books and writes for, among others, Jacobin and the Guardian.
Moderator:
Moderator: Simela Papatheophilou is a law and development researcher. She works at the Austrian Foundation for Development Research (ÖFSE), where much of her work is on raw materials policy and trade policy.
Syria is undergoing a fragile and uncertain transition at a time when the whole Middle East is being reshaped by a new war. The country's economic and social conditions remain strained, while the new authorities struggle to deliver basic services and stabilise governance. Mounting pressure from Islamists seeking to redefine the social order is adding to tensions. In April, protests in Damascus signalled growing dissatisfaction with the new ruling elite. Internal tensions also remain unresolved. These include disputes over the forced integration of the Kurdish northeast, the continued marginalisation of the Alawite community, and an ongoing crisis in the Druze-majority south. The expert panel will also examine Europe's shifting approach to Syrian refugees, including increasing efforts to reduce their presence. It will consider whether renewed instability in Syria and the broader region could spark another wave of displacement towards Europe.
Panelists tbc
Rabie Nasser is an economist, researcher and co-founder of the Syrian Centre for Policy Research(SCPR). His areas of expertise and research include macroeconomic policies, inclusive growth, poverty, and conflict socioeconomic impact assessment. (online)
Meliha Benli Altunışık is a Professor in the Department of International Relations at Middle East Technical University (METU) in Ankara. She has written mainly on international relations of the Middle East and Turkey's foreign policy, including on ideology and pragmatism in foreign policy, cusp states, rentier state theory, humanitarian diplomacy, regional powers, regional rivalries and regionalism related to the Middle East and Turkey. (online)
Abdullah al-Jabassini holds a PhD in International Relations from the University of Kent, Canterbury. His main research interests include political violence and civil war, rebel governance, peacebuilding and reconciliation processes, rebel-military integration, authoritarian conflict management, and local governance in areas of limited statehood.
Moderation
Gudrun Harrer, Lecturer in Modern History and Politics of the Near and Middle East at the University of Vienna and the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna; former Senior Editor at Der Standard (until 2025).
An event as part of our focus on
In focus: FALSE PATRIOTS - THE OPEN SOCIETY AND ITS ENEMIES
In 2019, young voters in Austria were still leaning towards the Greens and the ÖVP in the national elections, but just a few years later, the FPÖ was clearly the number one choice among young people. The same applies to Germany: for a long time, young people mainly favoured the Greens and Liberals, but Gen Z already voted massively for the far right in the European elections; in the 2025 federal elections, the AfD, which is partly on the far right, was already the strongest force among young voters in the east.
Right-wing populists and right-wing extremists have therefore managed to present themselves as protest parties and problem solvers - and to pander to them. Right-wing everyday culture and subculture is once again attractive to young people, and the radicals are scoring points on social media with their skilfully tailored offers for young people. Nationalist, anti-woke politics are therefore trending among Gen Z.
Why - and how to deal with it? Cathrin Kahlweit talks about this with Rafid Kabir, content creator and „democracy influencer“, and Antonie Rietzschel, investigative journalist and right-wing extremism expert in East Germany.
Cathrin Kahlweit, SZ correspondent, publicist and presenter for many years