Matthias Dilling

@matthiasdilling.bsky.social

Assistant Prof in Pol Scie @tcdpoliticalsci.bsky.social & co-convenor PSA German Politics | prev. Oxford, Swansea, PhD Oxford (Nuffield College) | Studying how and why political parties change & what this means for democracy | Book: https://t.co/1vvjasFYfD

@polstudies.bsky.social Oct 9, 2026, 5:04 PMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

2/2 🧵👉 Authoritarian, But Not Nativist - @aborges75.bsky.social & @lisazanottiphd.bsky.social examine how far-right parties in Latin America compare to their Western European counterparts. Read OPEN ACCESS: buff.ly/cHyT0LR

#polsci #polsky #LatinAmericanPolitics #FarRightPolitics

Abstract
Research on far-right parties has mostly focused on Western Europe, where anti-immigration agendas and related nativist ideas have played a major role in right-wing radicalization. In this article, we analyze the rise of the far right in Latin America, a region where immigration has been much less prominent in public debates. Drawing on the 2020 Chapell Hill Expert Survey, we propose to assess the extent to which Latin American far-right parties fit existing conceptualizations that identify nativism and authoritarianism as the core characteristics of this party family. Given the relative unimportance of nativism as a distinguishing feature of cases of right-wing extremism/radicalism in the region, we propose a more parsimonious conceptualization of the far right. We also develop a typological classification and find that authoritarian-fundamentalist parties that embrace an extreme form of religious conservatism are the most common subtype of far-right party in Latin America.

@populismblog.bsky.social Sep 30, 2026, 9:23 AMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

New book out 🔥

The Fascist Zeitgeist.
Authoritarian Legacies and the Iberian Far Right.

(Elements in the History and Politics of Fascism
@universitypress.cambridge.org)

How is the success of the Iberian far right linked to the memory of Franco and Salazar?

doi.org/10.1017/9781009588072

The image shows, on the right half, the book's cover, with fascist architecture from Rome, which is the signature image used by the series on "The History and Politics of Fascism". The left half of the image shows the book's back, that includes the following summary:
The far right is achieving unprecedented electoral success, even in countries once considered immune such as Spain and Portugal. For decades, the stigma surrounding the long dictatorships of António Salazar and Francisco Franco seemed to inoculate the Iberian Peninsula against far-right mobilisation, yet Chega and VOX have shown that collective memory evolves – and stigma fades. This Element argues that understanding the far right's global rise requires attention to authoritarian nostalgia: a longing for an idealised authoritarian past. When activated by credible political actors with sufficient media visibility, this sentiment can generate support for far-right movements even in societies with a collective memory firmly condemning their authoritarian past. Using original survey data, the Element shows how contemporary far-right forces mobilise the ghosts of authoritarianism to erode democratic norms, revealing the enduring power of collective memory in shaping political behaviour.

@ecpr-ead.bsky.social Oct 8, 2026, 9:38 AMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

🥁 The Call for Papers for the 2nd @ecpr.bsky.social Extremism & Democracy conference is now live!
📆 20-21 May 2027.
📍Erasmus University, Rotterdam
⏱️ Deadline for panesl & papers is 18 December.

ecpr.eu/Events/372

@tcdsociology.bsky.social Oct 6, 2026, 8:10 AMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

There are still tickets left for our FREE public lecture next week!

Join Dr Larissa Meier as she examines recent protest movements and what they mean for Europe's future.

📆Thurs 15 Oct
🕐7pm
🏛️Synge Theatre
📋Tickets via tinyurl.com/56xnm784

@tcdschoolssp.bsky.social

@markuskollberg.bsky.social Oct 6, 2026, 7:38 AMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

🚨New Paper in @polbehavior.bsky.social!

Julia Leschke and I ask: What works against populist rhetoric? We find: Advocating for pluralist ideals can mitigate the negative effects of populist rhetoric.
link.springer.com/article/10.1...

More details below ⏬

@valentimvicente.bsky.social Oct 2, 2026, 7:51 AMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

Great opportunity to work with one of the brightest and kindest in the discipline, with lots of freedom, in a very stimulating environment, and in a city that I don’t even need to try to sell to you:

@tabouchadi.bsky.social Oct 2, 2026, 6:57 AMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

For my new research unit Politics of Democracy at the Berlin Social Science Center @wzb.bsky.social, we have 3 open research positions.

2 postdocs: 4 + 2 years (100%)
1 doc: 2 years (75%)

Starting date: 1 March 2027 (negotiable)
Application deadline: 1 November

@luissattelmayer.bsky.social Sep 30, 2026, 8:26 AMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

Today, @malojan.bsky.social and I are launching the PartySOME website at partysome.org, an open, interactive platform for exploring how much political parties communicate online and what they talk about 🎤💻📊

@alexdukalskis.bsky.social Sep 28, 2026, 2:31 PMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

My department - @ucdpolitics.bsky.social - is hiring two PERMANENT posts in any area of politics, international relations, theory, or development studies. Please apply if you are on the academic job market, and if you're not, please do us a solid & spread the word! Deadline NOV 9.

@louisabo.bsky.social Sep 24, 2026, 6:12 AMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

I don't mean to brag, but at my PhD defence this paper 👇 was called the "filet" of my dissertation 🥩 and now you can read it in @thejop.bsky.social

www.journals.uchicago.edu/eprint/CCJJW...

@kunkakom.bsky.social Sep 23, 2026, 5:24 PMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

We are hiring at LMU Munich: two PhD positions and one postdoc on democracy, political psychology and computational social science. Start: January 2027 or as soon as possible. We review applications on a rolling basis until October 20. Details below. Reposts very welcome! 1/7

@williamlallen.bsky.social Sep 23, 2026, 12:38 PMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

It's been quite the ride, with lots of supporters: I've received a @ukri.org Future Leaders Fellowship to examine how data visualization matters for what people know, think, and want on climate change, migration, and economic development and inequality. For details, see www.visualizer.org.uk #flf

@jwmueller-pu.bsky.social Sep 22, 2026, 2:59 PMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

"...the basic fact remains that only a party that wins fifty percent plus one is entitled to hold power. For another way of reading the result is that a clear majority opted against the far right – ... in light of the fact that other parties had warned of the AfD as a danger to democracy."

@robertkelchen.com Sep 22, 2026, 10:33 AMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

My department and college are searching for FOUR new tenure-track assistant professor colleagues! Please share, and application reviews begin October 15.

@markuskollberg.bsky.social Sep 22, 2026, 8:51 AMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

Do you want to understand whether investments in public services can make democracies more resilient? Come and do your PhD with @heikekluever.bsky.social and me!

We offer great conditions, a supportive team, and lots of room to develop your own ideas.

Any questions? Please, do reach out!

@heikekluever.bsky.social Sep 22, 2026, 8:34 AMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

📣 We're hiring!

Looking for a PhD position? Join our team in Berlin!

Work with @heikekluever.bsky.social and @markuskollberg.bsky.social in #STATEWORK at Humboldt University and join our @dynamics.bsky.social PhD programme

Great people, great project, great city!

🗓️ Deadline: 13 October 2026

@matthiasdilling.bsky.social Sep 21, 2026, 10:12 AM

I was on RTE's Morning Ireland this morning to talk about why I think Merz's days as chancellor are numbered, why replacing the chancellor can be an opportunity for the government, and what both the Berlin and MV election can tell us about engaging with the far right.

www.rte.ie/radio/radio1...

@florianfoos.bsky.social Sep 20, 2026, 8:31 PMReposted by @matthiasdilling.bsky.social

Side note: This is not only another very bad result for the CDU, but for the centre-right in general. The FDP doesn't even factor anymore. 1% in MV and likely no more than 2-3% in Berlin. Looks like the populist rebirth of the Free Democrats isn't quite going to plan.

@matthiasdilling.bsky.social Sep 21, 2026, 6:57 AM

Not sure. Most people don't negate that reforms are needed, but regardless of what we think about the substance of the reforms, Merz did not communicate them well. Dissociating itself from a deeply unpopular chancellor might be a more promising strategy for the government than to just keep going.

@matthiasdilling.bsky.social Sep 20, 2026, 10:02 PM

Yes, absolutely, it will be difficult politically. Institutionally, though, the constructive vote of no confidence gives a clear mechanism to replace Merz. It would also allow CDU/CSU and SPD to continue the coalition and hope that a new chancellor might revive their standing in the polls.

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