Join us for a talk by Professor Alfredo Saad Filho on the rise of neoliberal forms of political authoritarianism and fascism since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). This is also a chance to say farewell (but not adieu!) as Alfredo leaves the department.

About the event 

“Global neoliberalism is going through overlapping crises across the economy, democracy, social reproduction, the environment, and more. This session examines the political implications of these crises. It reviews the shift of the political spectrum towards the right in several countries, and the rise of specifically neoliberal forms of political authoritarianism and fascism since the Global Financial Crisis (GFC).

The session will address three specific questions:

(a) What are the drivers of the political tendency towards the right, and how do they relate to the GFC and the crisis in the environment?

(b) Is this capitalism as usual, free from the fetters of mass opposition and the post-World War II Keynesian-social democratic-developmentalist consensus, or is this a new phase of neoliberalism?

(c) How do the current (neoliberal) forms of political authoritarianism compare with ‘classic’ fascism?

Answering these questions requires an examination of the changing drivers and structure of accumulation, the social composition of neoliberal societies, and the emerging forms of political representation. The session concludes with an outline of potential approaches to resist against neoliberal fascism.

About the speaker

Alfredo Saad Filho is Professor of Political Economy and International Development at King's College London, and was Senior Economic Affairs Officer at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), in Geneva. He has taught in universities and research institutions in Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, Germany, Italy, Japan, Mozambique, South Africa, Switzerland and the UK. His publications include 17 books, 80 journal articles, 60 book chapters, and 30 reports for UN and other international agencies. His most recent books include The Age of Crisis: Neoliberalism, the Collapse of Democracy, and the Pandemic (London: Palgrave Macmillan, 2022) and Progressive Policies for Economic Development: Economic Diversification and Social Inclusion after Climate Change (London: Routledge, 2022).