Laclau examined the forces that drive populism and their relationship to our democracy. He advocates a leftist populism that can mobilise the critical power of the masses against the ruling powers. - This talk has been cancelled. Ernesto Laclau unexpectedly passed away on April 13th 2014.

Flanders is experiencing the hype of independence. Which will prevail, confederation or separatism? The book Wereldvreemd in Vlaanderen (Out of Touch with Reality in Flanders) cuts across these concerns. On the basis of an analysis of the new world order, the authors argue for progressive politics on several scales.

Burning Ice - The concept of ‘resilience’ is increasingly prominent in reactions to the socio-ecological systemic crisis that is affecting us. The arts too have increasingly been talking about ‘resilience’ in recent years. In this salon curator Grégory Castéra will talk with Franck Leibovici and Amy Franceschini about the role ‘resilience’ plays in their artistic practice.

The gap between rich and poor in Belgium has never been so big. One Belgian in five has difficulty making ends meet. One immigrant child in three grows up in poverty. This makes Belgium one of the worst pupils in the European class. But what is near the top of the political agenda? Criminality. Safety. Zero tolerance. Public nuisance. Loitering teenagers. But it should not be all one-sided. When they do not succeed in tackling the real problems, politicians always come back to the same thing: repression, as the political philosopher Bleri Lleshi says in De neoliberale strafstaat. On the basis of theoretical research and practical experience, Lleshi shows where thirty years of neoliberalism is rapidly leading us.

WoWmen! - Now that more and more practising Muslims are coming to power in Turkey, the feminist movement finds itself on the horns of a dilemma. Is the tension between tradition and modernisation in East and West Istanbul illustrative of what is happening in gender issues? This is the topic of a debate.