How is political engagement changing in Europe? The rise of new political platforms

Date: 

Wednesday, February 14, 2018, 12:00pm to 1:15pm

Location: 

Ash Center Foyer, 124 Mount Auburn Street, Suite 200-North

You are invited to join a conversation on how political engagement is changing Europe with Ash Center faculty affiliate Muriel Rouyer and Francesco Galtieri MC/MPA ’17, political candidate with the Italian political party +Europe. Lunch will be provided. 

The recent elections across Western Europe have been under watch from the international public opinion, due to the rise of populist movements and the appearance of a number of new political platforms outside of the traditional parties’ landscape. Something seems to be changing in the way people engage in politics and traditional parties seem to suffer of an identity crisis in many countries. Ciudadanos, Podemos, Siriza, La République en Marche, AfD, the 5 Star Movement - all these parties were nonexistent only a few years ago. In addition, political polarization seems to be growing between pro-European and anti-European parties, putting the European integration process back at the centre of the public debate and the old continent political agenda, after many decades during which Europe was a matter of "the people in Brussels”. No doubt BREXIT has shown that the process could indeed be reversible, creating a new sense of engagement that is reflected also in the discussion about strengthening the European parliamentary representation through the failed attempt to establish transnational lists for the next European Parliamentary elections.