Nationalism
Who belongs?
National identity, historical memory and the boundaries of political belonging.
Neo-NationalismProfessor of Politics · Author · Public commentator
EIRÍKUR
BERGMANN.
01 / PROFILE
Nationalism, populism, conspiracy theories — and the forces reshaping democracy.
Eiríkur Bergmann is Professor of Politics at Bifröst University. He studies the intersections of political ideas, national identities and democratic life.
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ScholarAuthorPublic commentator
The latest work Now / 2025–2026
On the
agenda.
Europe, sovereignty and the political stories of our time.
Publication archive2026
Policy briefing
2026Referendum on Resuming EU Accession Talks
Institut für Europäische Politik
Country report
2026Euroscepticism in Denmark
With Parnell Ledaga-Ngouoni · Open Research Europe
Country report
EUPopLink Country report — Iceland
Open Research Europe
More recent work ＋
2026Encyclopedia entry
2026Populist parties
Elgar Encyclopedia of Political Representation
Encyclopedia entry
2026Right-wing populism
Elgar Encyclopedia of Political Representation
Book chapter
2025Icesave and the Financial Crisis
Crisis in Context · Palgrave Macmillan
Book
Weaponizing Conspiracy Theories
Routledge
Research focus
Six ways into
the political world.
01Nationalism02Populism03Conspiracy theories04European integration05Icelandic politics06Participatory democracy
Populism
Who speaks for the people?
How appeals to “the people” challenge elites and reshape political representation.
Populist parties · 2026Conspiracy theories
How does a story gain power?
The use of conspiratorial narratives as instruments of political mobilisation.
Weaponizing Conspiracy TheoriesEuropean integration
Where does sovereignty lie?
Iceland’s relationship with Europe, between national autonomy and shared institutions.
Iceland country report · 2026Icelandic politics
A small state, a wider lens.
Political change in Iceland, from the financial crisis to debates about Europe.
Iceland and the International Financial CrisisParticipatory democracy
How can citizens shape institutions?
Public participation and deliberation in constitutional reform.
Lessons from two island nations · 2023Inside the research / 2024
Threat.
Betrayal.
Protection.
Three-Step Rhetorical Model
of Conspiratorial Populism
An outside threat
Construct an external danger to the nation.
Betrayal within
Cast domestic elites as betraying the people or aiding that threat.
The protector
Present the leader as the defender of the “true people”.
01 / 03
An analytical model of political rhetoric, not an endorsement of these claims.
A selected bookshelf
Ideas, in depth.
Routledge · 2025
Weaponizing Conspiracy Theories
JPV útgáfa · 2021
Þjóðarávarpið
Popúlísk þjóðernishyggja í hálfa öld
Palgrave Macmillan · 2020
Neo-Nationalism
The Rise of Nativist Populism
Palgrave Macmillan · 2018
Conspiracy & Populism
The Politics of Misinformation
Palgrave Macmillan · 2017
Nordic Nationalism and Right-Wing Populist Politics
Imperial Relationships and National Sentiments
Palgrave Macmillan · 2014
Iceland and the International Financial Crisis
Boom, Bust and Recovery
2011Constitutional Council
Democracy, in practice
A seat at
the constitutional table.
Eiríkur Bergmann served on Iceland’s Constitutional Council in 2011. Parliament appointed the Council following the 2010 election process; it delivered a proposal for a new constitution to Alþingi.
The Council’s official archiveResearch in progress
Beyond borders.
International collaborations connecting political research with the challenges facing democratic societies.
EUPopLink
Linking euroscepticism and populism: causes and consequences. Bergmann’s 2026 country reports focus on Iceland and Denmark.
NORDREN
The Nordic Disinformation Resilience Network examines how Nordic societies prepare for and respond to disinformation. Funded by NordForsk and led at Lund University.
OPEN
Research on rising nationalisms, changing geopolitics and their implications for openness in European higher education and research.
CONNOR
The Nordic Network of Conspiracy Theory Research connects researchers across the region. Its 2026 annual conference took place at the University of Tartu.
In the public conversation
Ideas in public.
RÚV24 September 2026 · Interview
Icelandic politics in focus
Expert commentary on recent developments in the People’s Party and ministerial politics. In Icelandic.
Read the interviewCNN Newsroom30 August 2026 · Broadcast interview
Iceland and Europe, after the vote
A conversation with Salma Abdelaziz about the EU referendum and Iceland’s relationship with Europe.
Read the transcriptReutersAugust 2026 · Interview contribution
Fish, ships and sovereignty
Interview material on Iceland’s European future, fisheries and economic sovereignty. Reuters Connect video and transcript.
View the Reuters sourceEuronews7 August 2026 · Expert commentary
The economics behind the referendum
Commentary on the domestic economic questions shaping Iceland’s EU debate.
Read the articleThe podcast · In Icelandic
Explore the podcastSkuggavaldið
History, politics and psychology of conspiracy theories. With Hulda Þórisdóttir.
Beyond academia
Another kind of story.
Novels and a personal memoir. A different register of the same writing life.
Sögur útgáfa · 2024
Óvæntur ferðafélagi
Minningabók
Sögur útgáfa · 2017
Samsærið
Sögur útgáfa · 2015
Hryðjuverkamaður snýr heim
Skrudda · 2005
Glapræði
1995–2026
A life, in chapters.
From journalism to the ideas shaping our time.
Research, literature and public debate. Follow the people, places and publications along the way.
Explore the visual biography