Maciej Bazela is an academic leader with over 15 years of experience in higher education, research, and international relations. He specializes in comparative politics, geopolitics, and sustainable development in Mexico City. As Founder & CEO of Applied Ethics Solutions, Maciej promotes ethical standards in business through tailored educational programs. He has served as Department Chair of Social and Political Affairs at IPADE Business School, leading curriculum development and fostering academic collaboration. Fluent in multiple languages, Maciej is dedicated to advancing ethical and inclusive education. He has a strong background in strategic planning and institutional modernization and holds advanced degrees in philosophy and international relations.

Where do you see the most exciting research/debates in your field?

The 2020s have become a remarkable decade in global politics, marked by significant electoral events and a growing debate over the future of liberal democracy. In 2024 alone, over 4 billion people across 70 countries are voting in national elections, with surprising outcomes like Claudia Sheinbaum’s victory in Mexico and the Labour Party’s win in the UK. As the US presidential election approaches, the global democratic landscape could shift dramatically by 2025.

The rise of populism, driven by public frustration over economic and social issues, has challenged centrist parties and liberal democracy. Governments are centralizing power, reminiscent of the 1920s, with citizens increasingly willing to trade freedoms for state security. The success of hybrid political models in countries like China and the UAE further erodes the value of individual liberty. The shift away from liberal values and the resurgence of authoritarianism are troubling, echoing warnings from thinkers like Tocqueville and Hayek. Having witnessed the collapse of the Soviet Union during my formative years, I am struck by how the debates on freedom and political systems from that era have faded. Newer generations show less concern for the distinctions between political ideologies. The struggle for freedom is becoming irrelevant in an increasingly bureaucratic world.

How has your understanding of the world changed, and what (or who) prompted the most significant shifts in your thinking?

I have been following the unfolding political drama in Venezuela. It reminded me of Douglass North’s idea of “historical junctures.” Wrong turns and missed opportunities tend to have dramatic consequences. A historical pendulum does not exist. Things do not come back to “normal” after a while. It takes human agency. When I give the Venezuela case, I ask my students: “Do you think Venezuela has reached the bottom? Will it bounce back?”. The unfolding discussion reveals how difficult it is to “turn a country around.” Many domestic and international factors explain why Venezuela has been so much “path dependent” despite social, political and economic collapse. Returning to Douglass North, political institutionalism offers a robust analytical framework that helps understand what is happening in politics in comparative terms. And politics does not equal economic performance. This is why economic collapse is not a sufficient reason for a political transformation. This is why Venezuela, Cuba, and Russia keep offering valuable lessons to other countries that are playing with fire, electing illiberal democrats.

Based on my studies and international experience, I have also reaffirmed in the first person a rather pessimistic view of nature and the inner logic of the state, which is the starting point of modern political sciences. The state has its rationality, which........

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