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Event
Workshop: “The end of democracy? Is the populist wave unstoppable?”

The event will take place at Vabamu on June 30, starting at 9:00. Seating is limited and registration is required to attend, REGISTER HERE.

The workshop is organized in collaboration with Tallinn University of Technology, Vabamu Museum of Occupations and Freedom, and Stanford University Libraries.

Vabamu, Toompea 8b
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30. June 9:30-17:30
Please regiter to participate
Register here
With democratic systems around the world facing mounting pressure from populism, geopolitical tensions, and shifting global power dynamics, urgent questions about the future of liberal democracy are arising. Is the current wave of populism merely a temporary disruption, or will it lead to a lasting transformation of international order?
The workshop “The End of Democracy? Is the Populist Wave Unstoppable?” will bring together leading scholars, policymakers, and practitioners to explore these challenges from global and Baltic perspectives. Throughout the day, discussions will address the evolving relationship between autocracies and democracies, the future of democratization, the societal impacts of the war in Ukraine, and the resilience of the international legal order. The final section of the event is dedicated to the memory of Estonian legal scholar Tanel Kerikmäe (1969-2025), who passed away last year.
The program features keynote contributions from Michael McFaul, Larry Diamond, and Steven Livingston as well as a distinguished group of international experts, including Eric Shiraev, Charles Szymanski, Jason Smart (all from United States), Edward Lucas, Timothy Less (both from United Kingdom) and Agnes Kasper. Discussions will be moderated by leading Estonian experts.


Program

9:00 –9:30 Registration

9:30–9:35 Introductory remarks by Holger Mölder (TalTech)

9:35–9:45Welcoming addresses by Tiit Land (TalTech) and Ivo Lille (Vabamu)

9:45–11:00 Keynote address by Michael McFaul (Stanford University), “Autocrats vs. Democrats: China, Russia, America and the New Global Disorder?”

Introduced and moderated by Toomas Hendrik Ilves (President of Estonia, 2006–2016; Estonian Council of Foreign Relations)

11:00–11:15  Break

11:15–12:30 Keynote discussion “The future of democratization in the age of populism” with Larry Diamond (Stanford University) and Steven Livingston (George Washington University)

Moderated by Holger Mölder (TalTech)

12:30–13:30 Lunch

13:30–14:45 Roundtable “The implications of the War in Ukraine on Russian and Ukrainian societies” with Eric Shiraev (George Mason University), Edward Lucas (writer and journalist, UK), Jason Smart (Kyiv Post), and Timothy Less (University of Cambridge)

Moderated by Raivo Vare (Estonian Council of Foreign Relations)

14:45–15:00 Break

15:00–16:15 Roundtable “The future of international legal order – in memoriam Tanel Kerikmäe”

Introduced by Archil Chochia (TalTech)

Panelists: Charles Szymanski (University of Syracuse, University Bialystok)  and Agnes Kasper (TalTech, CCDCOE)

Moderated by Katrin Nyman-Metcalf (TalTech)

16:15 Concluding remarks by Holger Mölder (TalTech) followed by reception and book signing with Michael McFaul.

 

Support for the workshop

This workshop has received support from the Association for the Advancement of Baltic Studies (AABS) through its 2026–2027 Academic Events and Projects Grant programme. The grant was awarded to Holger Mölder (TalTech) in recognition of the workshop’s contribution to advancing Baltic Studies and fostering international scholarly dialogue on issues of democracy, populism, and global political change.