We are delighted to share that Associate Professor Karlis Bukovskis from Rīga Stradiņš University (RSU) presented the DeCrises project at the 55th Annual Conference of the University Association for Contemporary European Studies (UACES) in Trento, Italy.

During the session on Left-Wing Parties and Green Politics and Policies, Prof. Bukovskis delivered a presentation titled “Climate Change as Political Hypocrisy of Latvian Left and Green Parties.” His talk examined the historical evolution of green ideology in Latvia, tracing its roots to the 1980s People’s Awakening Movement and environmental advocacy campaigns against large-scale projects such as the Riga metro and the proposed nuclear power plant in Liepāja. These strong environmental sentiments ultimately gave rise to the Latvian Green Party (Latvijas Zaļā partija) in the 1990s.

By linking this historical context with present-day political dynamics, Prof. Bukovskis highlighted how climate change and environmental debates reveal tensions between ideology, political practice, and governance. His contribution underscores the importance of understanding national-level political narratives to address broader European challenges around democracy, crises, and climate policy.

The DeCrises project, in which RSU leads Work Package 1, investigates how democratic systems can remain resilient when facing multiple crises, including those linked to climate change. Presentations such as this one demonstrate how national case studies enrich European-wide discussions and provide insights for policymaking.