The HEPP made a significant impact at Europe’s largest political science conference, the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR), held from August 12-15 at University College Dublin. HEPPsters and friends presented a diverse array of innovative research across several panels, delving into critical topics such as social contracts in liberal democracies, audiovisual political communication, populism, gender dynamics, and the influence of right-wing politics.
Key Highlights:
Monday, August 12:
The conference kicked off with a deep dive into Social Contracts in Liberal Democracies, where Szilvia Horváth explored Hungary's historical-political contexts, Alexander Alekseev examined populist radical right approaches to democracy and freedoms, and Anna Björk & Emilia Palonen discussed the continuous construction of social contracts with a focus on the EP2024 elections, which is the part of CO3 Horizon Europe research project. Additionally, Dayei Oh led a session on Harnessing Artificial Intelligence for Analyzing Democratic Processes, questioning whether algorithmic content moderation supports democratic discourse.
Tuesday, August 13:
Emilia Palonen presented on the Multimodal Discursive Shift in audiovisual political communication during the EP2024 elections. The HEPP panel on Epistemic Contestation of the (Liberal Democratic) Hegemony saw contributions from Alexander Alekseev, Kinga Połynczuk-Alenius, Olena Siden, and Dayei Oh, who examined how right-wing and populist discourses challenge established liberal-democratic norms across various contexts.
Wednesday, August 14:
Gender and political violence took center stage with Emilia Lounela’s analysis of Incel Presentations of the Past and their ideological justifications. In another panel, Laura Horsmanheimo reconstructed the concept of citizenship, using a case study from the Helsinki City Museum’s Sex Work Exhibition to highlight performative spaces for demanding rights. The day concluded with Sabine Volk’s exploration of Far-Right Protest and the Pandemic, particularly through the lens of the PEGIDA movement.
Thursday, August 15:
Discussions on Anti-Discrimination Policies and Anti-Gender Discourses included Katinka Linnamäki and Alexander Alekseev’s insights into ideological familism within Hungary's FIDESZ-KDNP government. Sabine Volk further discussed Populism and the Pandemic, analyzing the politicization of COVID-19 among populist radical right parties. The day wrapped up with explorations of gender dynamics, online extremism, and visual representations of populism, including standout presentations on Banana Populism and Zelensky’s Performance of Hegemonic Masculinity on Social Media by Zea Szebeni and Ilana Hartikainen.
Through the innovative research and dynamic presentations, HEPPsters and friends continue to contribute valuable insights to the fields of political science, communication, and beyond.