Slavoj Žižek has been playing the role of moderate for some time. In a world burning between wars and extremism, the most provocative philosopher of our time appeals to the rules of democracy with such a sense of proportion that it seems almost revolutionary.
For Žižek, who is in the bookstore with the book "Against Progress", the conflicts in Iran, the Middle East and Ukraine are proof of a predatory policy that has lost touch with international law. While Europe, in this crazy geopolitical tableau, has the duty to speak the language of reason once again.
Are we facing a clash of civilizations?
"It is truly the end of the old liberal and democratic world order. What is happening in Iran seals the catastrophe. It is a unique situation, in which there is seemingly no place for Europe. But it is precisely this apparent state of crisis that drives me to be resolutely Eurocentric now."
How can Europe regain a central geopolitical role?
"By not adapting to the brutal world order that is emerging and continuing to represent what is left of the civilized world. Despite its compromises, Europe still represents the values of the Enlightenment, the fundamental rights of man. Ideals that are still worth fighting for, but that need to be reinvented and adapted to our times. Precisely at the moment when Trump and Vance attack it by presenting it as an enemy, we must reaffirm a united Europe. We need a European federation or something similar to face the current challenges, not only wars but also the ecological crisis and artificial intelligence."
What does the United States represent today under Trump?
"Pete Hegseth, the US Secretary of Defense, said that Iran has fallen bloody to the ground, but that the United States will continue to punch it. I think these words represent the end of civilization. Or rather the beginning of a barbaric civilization, in which Putin and Trump speak the same language."
Is there a risk of a major clash between the US and China?
"I don't think it will happen. Xi Jinping is aiming for good economic relations, which need stability and order. He has dismissed the military leaders, high-ranking generals who had more warlike positions. Of course, I am not defending China - we all know about the repression against Uyghurs, Tibetans and ordinary people. I am just saying that, compared to the United States and Russia, today China is not better, but it is the lesser evil. Europe should develop closer economic ties with China to isolate it as much as possible from Russia."
Iranian Nobel laureate Shirin Ebadi has said that the American intervention in Iran was necessary and a war of liberation. Do you agree?
"In a way I agree, but I oppose the way the United States is acting. Trump has clearly said that he does not care if Iran becomes a democracy; in his vision it can also remain a theocracy, as long as it obeys his demands. The same thing happened with Venezuela, where the post-Maduro regime was accepted with some changes at the top, as long as the country obeys the United States."
Do you think many ordinary Iranians were hoping for external intervention?
"I don't think most Iranians are pro-American; they are more desperate, especially after the bombing of oil facilities. We are facing an ecological catastrophe that affects the lungs of millions of people. I want to avoid misunderstandings: I am completely against the Iranian regime, it is enough to remember the thousands of protesters killed during the recent crackdown. It is a terrible regime. But I oppose the way the United States, under pressure from Netanyahu, carried out this attack. It is an operation that violates the basic principle of state sovereignty."
What scenarios do you foresee for the future?
"If the Islamic Republic of Iran and Hezbollah were to fall, that would be a positive thing. But I believe that Israel's dream of controlling the Middle East will not work. Nor will a Middle East controlled by states close to the US like Qatar or the Emirates. More likely is the opening of a new wave of fundamentalist terrorism and anti-Semitism. It is also possible that Iran will really try to strengthen its nuclear program. I am very worried."
How would you define our era?
“Putin’s Russia and Trump’s United States are the new axis of evil, the embodiment of a new breed of predatory leaders who break the law and use brutality to solve problems. The model is El Salvador’s leader, Bukele: a strong leader who acts in disregard of the law. We live in the era of predatory politics, within a sick new world order, to use a term from Gramsci. That is why I say that we must act not by following the course of history, but by opposing its trend.”
