Africa Center Director J. Peter Pham and Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center Associate Director Alina Polyakova join The American Interest podcast to discuss the election in Guinea and the rise of far-right political parties in Europe:
First, director of the Africa Center at the Atlantic Council J. Peter Pham discusses the coming election in Guinea, only a month away. The country has had only four leaders since gaining independence from France in 1958, and observers are interested to see if the country can manage a peaceful, free, and fair election. He argues that the incumbent, President Alpha Condé, has given democracy something of a bad name with his poor performance over his first term, and discusses what effects these elections could have on regional security and stability. He also outlines America’s interests in the area.
Then, associate director of the Dinu Patriciu Eurasia Center at the Atlantic Council Alina Polyakova makes the case that crises in Europe—from the troubles with Greece this summer to the refugee problem dominating headlines today—represent huge opportunities for far-right political movements. She describes the rise of these parties as far-reaching and steady in recent years, and argues that part of the reason they’ve enjoyed more success is because they’ve grown savvier with their tactics.