30 April 2008
Populist Ideologies in the Era of Globalization in Iran
Our discussion this time will follow an important political development: parliamentary elections in Iran which took place on March 14. With 190 of the 290 seats declared, the balance of power inside Iran grew more volatile. 90 per cent of the liberal opposition candidates had been banned by the Guardian Council. Although conservatives will dominate the parliament, but supporters and critics of Mahmoud Ahmadinejad won roughly equal representation in the Mejlis. As the second round of voting is due April 25, the president is making radical statements characterizing 9/11 a US conspiracy. Iran is not the only one to embark on a global populist agenda; the two other most prominent leaders are Hugo Chávez and Vladimir Putin. And populism is not the only element these leaders have in common. Oil and loyal personal networks within the establishment (whether military, religious, or secret police) are the two crucial pillars of their regimes. This discussion will be our second one to explore the topic of “Populist ideology in the era of globalization,” the theme that was first raised in our previous meeting with Andrei Illarionov and Vladimir Bukovskiy in relationship to Russia’s politics after the presidential elections.