Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
In this lecture, Ivan Krastev explores the end of the long 20th century and what it means for today’s world. Moving beyond the optimism of 1989 and the so-called “end of history,” he argues that we are living through a second rupture—one marked by the crisis of the liberal international order, shifting political identities, and growing uncertainty about the future.
The talk examines how the collapse of the Cold War system reshaped global politics, why the idea of the future has weakened in contemporary societies, and how nationalism, demographic anxiety, and technological change are redefining democracy and power.
This lecture offers a timely framework for understanding the transformation of Europe, the United States, and the global order in the 21st century.
—
As part of CEU’s 35th anniversary, the Presidential Lecture Series brings leading thinkers to discuss today’s most pressing global challenges.
See all anniversary events: https://events.ceu.edu/category/35-years
—
About CEU
Central European University (CEU) is a research-focused university offering a wide spectrum of interdisciplinary undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the heart of Europe. Our ever-growing international community of students, alumni, permanent and visiting faculty and program partners enables you to challenge conventional wisdom, explore diverse perspectives and critically examine the biggest challenges of the 21st century.
More from CEU:
Website: https://www.ceu.edu/
Facebook: facebook.com/WeAreCEU
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/weareceu.bsky.social
Instagram: instagram.com/weareceu
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/school/central-european-university
Threads: threads.net/@weareceu
Timestamps:
00:12 – Opening remarks & welcome (CEU Presidential Lecture Series)
00:51 – CEU’s founding, mission, and values
01:24 – Global changes and challenges to democracy
02:09 – 35 years of CEU & reflections on institutional legacy
03:45 – CEU in Vienna & connection to the city
05:02 – Opening the university to the public & “feast of ideas”
05:55 – Introduction of Ivan Krastev
08:55 – Opening: “We are living in shaking times”
09:46 – Is the liberal international order over?
11:34 – The “end of the long 20th century” explained
13:20 – The disappearance of the future in politics
14:32 – Crisis of political identities (US, USSR, Germany, Israel)
16:43 – Collapse of the Soviet Union & global consequences
20:28 – Rethinking US power and global leadership
23:23 – Power vs values in today’s international order
23:40 – Germany’s identity crisis & Europe’s future
26:41 – A changing world: new political identities
27:45 – Fear of the future: climate, AI, extinction narratives
29:08 – A key idea: we must change the questions, not just answers
30:04 – Discussion begins: Soviet collapse & identity shifts
31:30 – Crisis of liberalism & neoliberalism debate
34:23 – Transition economies & post-Cold War uncertainties
39:19 – Weak state vs strong state debate
40:04 – Was 1989 a global turning point or Western illusion?
42:10 – “Multiple 1989s”: different global perspectives
44:19 – Democracy, demography & political anxiety
46:22 – Demographic decline & global implications
50:06 – Demographic imagination vs reality
56:08 – Speed, time, and political change today
01:01:06 – “No vision, only deadlines”: politics of urgency
01:02:10 – Why democracy depends on belief in the future
01:03:11 – Universities, democracy & CEU’s role
01:09:13 – Reinventing institutions in times of rupture
01:11:24 – Financialization & political consequences
01:14:48 – Gender, politics & generational shifts
01:20:28 – Power politics & global conflicts today
01:26:41 – Dialogue across ideological divides
01:32:23 – Closing remarks
#ceu35 #weareceu #EndOfTheLong20thCentury #GlobalPolitics #IvanKrastev
Subscribe for more videos:
youtube.com/CentralEuropeanUniversityChannel
In this lecture, Ivan Krastev explores the end of the long 20th century and what it means for today’s world. Moving beyond the optimism of 1989 and the so-called “end of history,” he argues that we are living through a second rupture—one marked by the crisis of the liberal international order, shifting political identities, and growing uncertainty about the future.
The talk examines how the collapse of the Cold War system reshaped global politics, why the idea of the future has weakened in contemporary societies, and how nationalism, demographic anxiety, and technological change are redefining democracy and power.
This lecture offers a timely framework for understanding the transformation of Europe, the United States, and the global order in the 21st century.
—
As part of CEU’s 35th anniversary, the Presidential Lecture Series brings leading thinkers to discuss today’s most pressing global challenges.
See all anniversary events: https://events.ceu.edu/category/35-years
—
About CEU
Central European University (CEU) is a research-focused university offering a wide spectrum of interdisciplinary undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in the heart of Europe. Our ever-growing international community of students, alumni, permanent and visiting faculty and program partners enables you to challenge conventional wisdom, explore diverse perspectives and critically examine the biggest challenges of the 21st century.
More from CEU:
Website: https://www.ceu.edu/
Facebook: facebook.com/WeAreCEU
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/weareceu.bsky.social
Instagram: instagram.com/weareceu
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/school/central-european-university
Threads: threads.net/@weareceu
Timestamps:
00:12 – Opening remarks & welcome (CEU Presidential Lecture Series)
00:51 – CEU’s founding, mission, and values
01:24 – Global changes and challenges to democracy
02:09 – 35 years of CEU & reflections on institutional legacy
03:45 – CEU in Vienna & connection to the city
05:02 – Opening the university to the public & “feast of ideas”
05:55 – Introduction of Ivan Krastev
08:55 – Opening: “We are living in shaking times”
09:46 – Is the liberal international order over?
11:34 – The “end of the long 20th century” explained
13:20 – The disappearance of the future in politics
14:32 – Crisis of political identities (US, USSR, Germany, Israel)
16:43 – Collapse of the Soviet Union & global consequences
20:28 – Rethinking US power and global leadership
23:23 – Power vs values in today’s international order
23:40 – Germany’s identity crisis & Europe’s future
26:41 – A changing world: new political identities
27:45 – Fear of the future: climate, AI, extinction narratives
29:08 – A key idea: we must change the questions, not just answers
30:04 – Discussion begins: Soviet collapse & identity shifts
31:30 – Crisis of liberalism & neoliberalism debate
34:23 – Transition economies & post-Cold War uncertainties
39:19 – Weak state vs strong state debate
40:04 – Was 1989 a global turning point or Western illusion?
42:10 – “Multiple 1989s”: different global perspectives
44:19 – Democracy, demography & political anxiety
46:22 – Demographic decline & global implications
50:06 – Demographic imagination vs reality
56:08 – Speed, time, and political change today
01:01:06 – “No vision, only deadlines”: politics of urgency
01:02:10 – Why democracy depends on belief in the future
01:03:11 – Universities, democracy & CEU’s role
01:09:13 – Reinventing institutions in times of rupture
01:11:24 – Financialization & political consequences
01:14:48 – Gender, politics & generational shifts
01:20:28 – Power politics & global conflicts today
01:26:41 – Dialogue across ideological divides
01:32:23 – Closing remarks
#ceu35 #weareceu #EndOfTheLong20thCentury #GlobalPolitics #IvanKrastev
Subscribe for more videos:
youtube.com/CentralEuropeanUniversityChannel
