We held a meeting at Kyiv-Mohyla Academy with Uria Fancelli, author of Populism and Denialism. Moderated by Dr. Anna Osypchuk, Director for Research of the School for Policy Analysis NaUKMA, we discussed how populism and deliberate truth-denial are used as political instruments.
Uria emphasized that modern autocracies rarely emerge out of nowhere — they typically grow from democratically elected populists who gradually dismantle institutions and present themselves as “the only true voice of the people.”
Political dynamics are often far more complex than they seem at first glance. In uncertain times, critical thinking becomes essential.
Special thanks to the event’s co-organizers — the Latin America Research Program of the Foreign Policy Council “Ukrainian Prism” and the Mohyla Community of IR students.
