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Upcoming Events
The Promise and Limits of Mouffe’s Left Populist Turn -
A lecture by Dr. Gökhan Demir
Date: 29 June 2026
Time: 10:00 am ET / 4:00 pm CET
Location: Online Event
Registration: click here to register
This article critically engages with Chantal Mouffe’s proposition for a left populist alternative, framing it as a strategy to counter the rise of right-wing populism and to articulate a progressive challenge to the prevailing hegemonic order. Mouffe argues that a left populist project could serve as a potent intervention within the neoliberal hegemonic crisis that emerged following the 2008 financial crisis. Her framework employs discursive strategies to demarcate a political boundary between the people and the oligarchy, directly contesting the structural inequalities fostered by neoliberal capitalism. The goal is to attain power by forming a collective will, thereby expanding democratic participation. However, this paper critiques Mouffe’s approach on four principal grounds: (1) its potential oversimplification of politics by reducing it to a discursive clash between competing populisms; (2) its neglect of political economy, particularly the role of class and capital relations in structuring contemporary societies; (3) its downplaying of the role of violence and coercion in establishing and maintaining hegemony; and (4) its lack of critical focus on the capitalist state’s role in reinforcing property relations and structures of exploitation that obstruct democratic transformation.
Gökhan Demir is a political theorist whose research focuses on political theory, contemporary social thought, and Turkish politics. His work critically examines the transformation of the state, the restructuring of democracy, and the rise of new authoritarian forms of rule. His research engages with debates on the crisis of democracy and civil society, the resurgence of populism(s), and the reconfiguration of state power under neoliberal and post-neoliberal conditions. Drawing on Marxist state theory, Gramscian analysis, and Foucauldian critiques of power, he explores Turkey’s recent political evolution. He held consecutive postdoctoral researcher positions at the University of Florence (2021-2022), the University of Padova (2022-2023), and the University of Kassel (2024-2025), working across departments of political science and social theory. He currently serves as editor-in-chief of the social sciences journal Praksis and is a Middle East Studies Association Global Academy Fellow.
Hosted by the the Center for Near and MiddleEastern Studies (CNMS) and The Department of Political Theory and the History of Ideas at Marburg University and The Middle East Studies Association (MESA)
Filmscreening Yellow Letters (Turkish: Sarı Zarflar) by İlker Çatak
Date: 17 June 2026
Time: 17:45pm
Location: Capitol Marburg (Biegenstraße 8)
The Working Group Turkish Studies warmly invites you to a second film screening, taking place as part of Prof. Carney’s and Prof. Znaien’s seminar on 17 June 2026.
The feature film Yellow Letters (Turkish: Sarı Zarflar) by İlker Çatak will be shown in its original language (Turkish) with English subtitles.
The drama follows an artist couple from the Turkish theatre scene who, as a result of state repression and alleged criticism of the government, lose their professional livelihood. Faced with this situation, the couple is compelled to reassess their values and renegotiate moral boundaries, with consequences for their marriage as well as their relationship with their teenage daughter.
The screening is open to the public with tickets available through Capitol Marburg. No prior knowledge is required.