Ivan Tranfić, PhD presented at the conference “Social Movement Studies in Intense Times“ at the University Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa

Ivan Tranfić, PhD presented at the conference “Social Movement Studies in Intense Times - A Conference to Honour Donatella della Porta's Work“ held at the University Scuola Normale Superiore di Pisa in Florence from 3 till 5 June, 2026. He presented the unpublished paper “Anti-gender Mobilization in Intense Times: Appropriating Mass Protest and Discontent for Regressive Goals“, in which he shows that anti-gender movements in Croatia, Serbia and Bulgaria cannot be reduced to a reaction to the policy of gender and LGBTIQ+ equality, but rather need to be undestood as a strategic form of political agency attempting to take the opportunities opened by social crises and waves of mass resentment.

The analysis of media outlets and interviews with leaders of movements reveals the ways in which  the timing, frameworks of interpretation and organisational patterns of anti-gender campaigns were adapted to broader anti-government protests, whereby economic insecurity and discontent with the consequences of neoliberal transformations were channelled  towards identity-related topics.