Great Decisions Discussion Series

Description

Topic: The Rise of Populism - #4 in book

Mass migration, and the problems associated with it, have directly abetted the rise of populist parties in Europe. Mass migration, and the problems associated with it, have directly abetted the rise of populist parties in Europe. Opposition to immigration was the prime driver of support for Brexit, it brought a far-right party to the German Bundestag for the first time since the 1950s, and propelled Marine Le Pen to win a third of the vote in the French presidential election. In addition to calling for stronger borders, however, these parties are invariably illiberal, anti-American, anti-NATO and pro-Kremlin, making their rise a matter of serious concern for the national security interests of the United States.

Speaker: Dr. Boyka Stefanova, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science & Geography at University of Texas at San Antonio. Research area: European Politics, European Union Studies, Comparative Politics, Comparative Foreign Policy, Research Methods, and Global Governance.

Dr. Boyka Stefanova is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science & Geography at UTSA.   Her areas of specialization are: European Politics, European Union Studies, Foreign Policy, Research Methods and Global Governance.
Dr. Stefanova earned her PhD in Political Science at the University of Delaware, and a Doctorate in Economics at the University of National and World Economy in Bulgaria.
She has published two books: The Europeanization of Conflict Resolution: Integration and Conflicts in Europe from the 1950s to the 21st Century (Manchester University Press 2011) and The War on Terror in Comparative Perspective: US National Security and Foreign Policy after 9/11 (with Mark J. Miller, Palgrave Macmillan 2007). Her recent publications include also articles on the European security institutions and electoral politics in Eastern Europe.

Some of her other publications include: “Voting A la Carte: Electoral Support for the Radical Right in the 2005 Bulgarian Parliamentary Elections”.

Dr. Stefanova is on the Graduate Program Committee in the Department of Political Science and Geography and the PhD Program Committee.

Come join the group! A light meal will be served at 5:45pm followed by a viewing of the DVD from the FPA.ORG. Our guest speaker will then address us, followed by a question and answer period.

Sponsored by Mammen Family Foundation and the Friends of the Library.

Books are available at the circulation desk for $20ea. No registration needed.