European Democracies Research Articles

POLITICAL INTERESTS AND POLITICAL DECISIONS: THE POSSIBILITIES OF FORMING A DEMOCRATIC AGENDA

The article is devoted to the study of political interest as a hidden determinant of the activity of associated and non-associated pressure groups (informal lobbying) within the bureaucratic power vertical. Applying modern interdisciplinary methodological tools, the author offers a rationale for the expediency of public articulation of political interests, elimination of hidden lobbying, as well as non-public agreements between the main political players, which slow down the modernization of the institutional environment of the democratic political system. The article reveals and describes the optimal efforts of the Ukrainian political class, which will be aimed at implementing the specified strategic changes. The author reveals an explanation of the functioning of the mechanisms by which interest groups operate and their influence on the formation of the agenda. The crucial importance of interest groups for understanding the dynamics of political decision-making is noted. It is emphasized that group actors are working to bring their issues to the top of the political agenda. The text examines the functionality of providing well-grounded and reasoned information by interested groups that reinforces the importance of their demands. The paper addresses demonstrations, petitions, and social media campaigns as common tactics used to mobilize public opinion and pressure political institutions into action. The article analyzes the pooling of resources and efforts by associated interest groups that purposefully increase the likelihood that their issues will be high on the political agenda. It is noted that publicizing demands and problems can lead to a change in the course and strategy of the current leadership or power team. It has been established that by consistently advocating their cause in public, group actors can ensure consideration of agenda items by politicians and attract media attention. Attention is paid to the cooperation of political forces and interested groups to obtain detailed information and recommendations during the development of draft laws or regulatory acts. Emphasis is placed on the priorities of elected officials who seek to conform to the “mainstream” of public opinion and public sentiment. In the final part of the article, the author emphasizes that the full representation of political interests and the interests of minority groups that are not in the mainstream of public attention. It was concluded that the institutional structure of European democracy is more open to the development of public interests. Therefore, for modern Ukraine, an important element is the formation of structures of political arbitration regarding the conflict of political interests or the provision of this functionality to already existing institutions

Democracy is hot. Or not? Examining the link between political dissatisfaction and democratic support in European democracies

ABSTRACT The article focuses on the evaluative attitudes of citizens and their association with regime support in European democracies. In the context of widespread public scepticism with politics, different findings about the effect of political dissatisfaction in terms of democratic legitimacy have appeared. This may imply that citizens’ attitudes towards politics and their interrelations are complex and that the effects might not be the same across individuals and contexts. To investigate the link between political dissatisfaction and democratic support, data from the European Values Study and hierarchical regression models are used. The results of the analysis suggest that political dissatisfaction is not related to democratic support by highly interested and highly involved citizens. Nevertheless, contrary to the assumptions, the negative effect is quite strong in less corrupt countries, while in corrupt ones it tends to be positively related to democratic support.

Silvio Berlusconi, Forza Italia, and Berlusconism: a political and cultural enterprise

ABSTRACT Silvio Berlusconi instigated a significant and lasting transformation in Italian politics. He revolutionized political communication, established a personal party, personalized the political process, and influenced the alteration of the party system. His approach was marked by a mix of diverse and sometimes contradictory elements. For example, this new political figure, who claimed to be the most important statesman in Italian history, strived to maintain his image as an outsider and non-politician. He framed himself, his party and his coalition as expressions of the centre-right, yet he was undeniably a new kind of populist, leveraging his vast media empire for the purposes of political mobilization. Berlusconi also succeeded in creating ‘Berlusconism’, a unique political culture that I will discuss, along with an anthropological transformation of politics and society. Thus, even after Berlusconi’s death, the legacy of Berlusconism endures in Italy. Moreover, in the mainstream literature, Berlusconi has often been seen as evidence of the ‘abnormality’ of Italian democracy. Contrary to this view, I argue that despite Italy’s distinct national characteristics, Berlusconi exemplified the first instance of a profound metamorphosis affecting many European democracies, which are no longer strictly classical liberal and representative models.

BOOK REVIEW of European Democracy and Single Market: 30 Years of the Maastricht Treaty

The book under review focuses on two of the most important aspects of the development of the EU integration process – the strengthening of the EU founding value of democracy and the achievement of the EU Single market objective following the entering into force of the Maastricht Treaty. The collective volume features authors coming from different national and academic backgrounds. The democracy-market nexus is approached from a number of perspectives, not always much explored in the past. The analyses seems to suggest that a durable evolution of the EU integration process can only be based on basic principles or founding values of the EU, like in the case of democracy, which is one of the most important ingredients for a European Single market, focused more on social and environmental issues rather than economic ones.

Deliberation through contestation: EU investments in cultural and artistic spaces beyond the EU

ABSTRACT The role of culture in democratization processes has increasingly been emphasized by the EU. Insisting on the value of culture for peaceful inter-community relations, the European Commission argues that cultural and artistic spaces can function as spaces for deliberation facilitating alternative engagement with politics through debate, education and free expression. The need for such spaces has become more urgent in a time in which democracies have come under pressure. This article examines how civil society actors in the Western Balkans create spaces of deliberation by engaging in EU funded cultural initiatives. In the projects that are being developed, civil society actors experiment with different forms of community-based management of resources and co-production, opening up new perspectives for social and political transformation. Their insistence to generate radical imagination through culture and arts and to create instances in which a different world can be prefigured has led to a boost of citizen participation in cultural projects which resulted in the emergence of ‘counter-public’, self-managed, post-Yugoslav spheres. In indirect, unexpected and contradictory ways, the EU funding schemes are both subject as well as facilitators of the discussions held at these spaces adding new dimensions to European democratization processes.

What Is the EU’s Vision of Democracy in the Post-Truth Scenario? A Conceptual Analysis of the Institutional Narratives of the Public Sphere in the “Democracy Action Plan”

Contributing to recent academic and public debates on how European democracies should respond to a scenario of “post-truth politics”, this article explores the idea of democracy that underlies current regulatory responses in the “European Democracy Action Plan” (EDAP). It offers a conceptual analysis of the institutional narratives in the EDAP illustrating normative expectations of the public sphere and transformations of the basic concepts in the European polity. It revisits the famous Habermasian systemic view of deliberation emphasizing the interconnections of the social and institutional realms through the public sphere in democracies. We argue that previous scholarship has focused too much on the presumed loss of consensus originated from the digital transformations in the public sphere without taking into consideration other institutional changes within the EU. The analysis of the key concepts illustrates the normative expectations of specific measures and shows that there is evidence of a systemic view in the EDAP, with different modes of intervention, partially coherent with Habermas' normative expectations. We conclude that the vision of democracy in the EDAP has been developed for decades to legitimate the EU's development and initiatives, but that it also incorporates a reformulation of some concepts justified by a post-truth scenario.

Referendums and political-institutional convergence in European democracies: A time-differencing configurational analysis

AbstractThis study assesses democratic changes against the background of an increased use of referendums in European parliamentary systems. Existing studies on why referendums have become more frequent argue that it is due to the so-called ‘blurring’ of political alignments aiming to bypass institutional veto players. Which change of conditions is sufficient for a more frequent use of referendums? The proposed domestic conditions do not exclude external reasons, and related studies imply that various combinations of internal and external factors are worth exploring further. Accordingly, in our study we assess the configurations of political-institutional changes by using time-differencing Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA). First, we find that democratic convergence leads to multiple explanatory paths for referendum use. Second, the result suggests that explanations with simple majoritarian dynamics are robust compared to other explanations showing convergence. Third, the existence of many veto players combined with economic globalization is identified as an alternative explanation to the convergence toward more frequent referendum use. This study advances referendum and European integration research by highlighting the dynamics of simple majoritarian democratic systems, but also veto players and globalization over time. The results imply that more attention should be given to the configurational nature of an increased rise in referendums in European democracies.

Political realignment in Western Europe in the twenty-first century: eroding satisfaction and trust in democracy and its institutions?

ABSTRACT European democracies appear to be facing substantial difficulties. Challenges arise from the emergence of right-wing populist parties and the withdrawal of citizens from established political parties. These changes it is claimed have led to an erosion of trust in the democratic political system. Drawing on ten waves of the European Social Survey from 2002 to 2020 in 11 Western European countries we test the evidence for a decline in democratic sentiment. Results do not support any deterioration in satisfaction with the way democracy works and trust in parliament, legal and police systems. Nor have hostile attitudes to immigrants increased in this period. Given the general rise in the electoral support for these parties our findings appear puzzling. However, while the evidence indicates no deterioration, attitudes to political parties and parliaments were far from positive in 2002 providing fertile ground for the emergence of populist radical right-wing parties.

The (changing) concept of democracy in (transforming) European populist radical right discourses: the case of Polish Law and Justice

ABSTRACT The populist radical right (PRR) has been actively engaged in the discursive struggle over the notion of democracy in Europe and beyond. This article examines how in practice PRR parties discursively construct and manipulate the concept of democracy. By taking a longitudinal comparative perspective on the political discourse of Jarosław Kaczyński, the leader of the Polish Law and Justice (PiS) party, in five consecutive electoral campaigns between 2007 and 2023, the article identifies key discursive strategies used to construct PRR conceptions of democracy. The analysis of PiS’s discourse in government and opposition shows that the PRR strives to fully appropriate the concept of democracy: when in power, the PRR discursively constructs (preserving) democracy as inseparable from the political status quo; while in opposition, it conditions (restoring) democracy with its accession to power. Despite numerous references to majoritarian conceptions of democracy and plebiscitary mechanisms and its claims to promote a radical democratic renewal, the PRR tends not to question the underlying principles of parliamentary representation. In practice, it discursively constructs a severely restricted version of democracy in which democratic participation essentially boils down to participation in elections. Hence, references to democracy are primarily used by the PRR to (emotionally) mobilise voters.

A historical turn in the study of media governance. A research agenda for Europe in times of democratic crisis

The liberalization of the media stands very much at the forefront in public, policy and academic concerns on how our current model of media governance affects democracy. But the discussion on the effects of media liberalization has obscured the vital question why liberalization was able to become the dominant media governance paradigm in the first place. This research note makes the case for a historical turn to answer this question. It argues that it is essential to contextualize media liberalization in the history of contemporary democracy in Europe rather than see it primarily through the perspective of technological innovation or top-down promotion of neo-liberal policies. It explores how three insights in historiography might form the core of a research agenda for media governance that takes history seriously. These include (a) the study of actors from below that pushed for reform outside the realm of government; (b) the influence of ideas on shaping institutional reform and (c) reading history forward rather than project today’s assumptions and outcomes into the past. Jointly, this historical turn will not only provide an enhanced understanding of how past reforms shaped the present, but also enlighten prospects for future changes of media governance paradigms.

TRENDS IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF TRANSPORT LOGISTICS - EUROPEAN TRANSPORT POLICY

Due to the wide scope of the topic, only freight transport will be considered here. The common political objectives of the EU are jointly determined by its institutions, as the EU strategy is translated by the European Commission into policies and initiatives. In its strategy for 2019-2024, the EU is accentuates on the following 6 priorities: European Green Pact; Europe prepared for the digital age; Economy in the interest of the people, A stronger Europe on the world stage; Affirming our European way of life; A new boost for European democracy. KEYWORDS: Freight, Transport, Trends, Tariff, Import Duty, Customs Authorities, Maritime Shipping

Artificial Intelligence, data protection and medical device regulations: squaring the circle with a historical perspective in Europe

PurposeThis manuscript presents a parallel among important EU legal frameworks, such as the Medical Device Regulations and General Data Protection Regulation and economic-historical challenges faced by European citizens. This parallel offers a prospective for understanding the direction taken by policymakers for forthcoming regulations, such as the European Health Data Space and the AI-Act.MethodThe paper describes key commonalities and differences among those regulations, which may help scholars working with AI in medicine, navigating this articulated legal framework.ResultsThe European Union journey started with the European Coal and Steel Community, enforced after the WWII for nurturing European physical reconstruction and as a mean for peacekeeping: without coil it was not possible to transform steel, and with shared control of steel it was not possible for individual member states to build war weapons.ConclusionsIn this century, modern coal are data and modern steel is the AI, which is a crucial enabler for European economy growth and competitiveness, and, potentially, a powerful war weapon. Ensuring a fair data-sharing and correct use of AI is crucial for sustainable development, peace, and democracy in Europe and beyond.

Acceptable Hierarchies: Epistemic Democracy in Europe and the Middle East

Acceptable Hierarchies: Epistemic Democracy in Europe and the Middle East

Adopting restriction: how coalition governments respond to radical right parties

Radical right parties (RRPs) have gained representation in parliaments across Europe, but little is known about their impact on government policy. Even though RRPs tend to end up in opposition, they have considerable influence on policy making within coalition governments. One expectation is that coalition governments are tough on immigration to optimise voter support when being exposed to right-wing parties in parliament. Coalition negotiations temporarily reduce accountability and allow cabinets to adjust policy positions without bearing the costs associated with opportunistic behaviour. This argument is tested using novel data on pre-electoral policy positions and post-electoral immigration policies for coalition cabinets in 24 European democracies from 1980 to 2015. The findings reveal that governments shift to more restrictive immigration policies in face of RRPs. This article expands on prior research on the influence of the radical right by demonstrating its direct influence on coalition governments’ joint immigration policy plans.

Standing with Ukraine? How citizens trade off self-interest and principles in supporting war-torn international partners

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is an attack on democracy, human rights, and the international order. While European democracies have supported their war-torn partner, Russia has sought to undermine public support by stopping its gas supply and imposing economic costs on European citizens. In consequence, Europeans find themselves caught between economic self-interest and principles. We present a theoretical argument and test how corresponding arguments for and against continued backing of Ukraine affect citizens’ support using experimental and observational data collected while concerns with gas shortage and inflation mounted in Germany and Denmark. We find that support for Ukraine does not falter due to economic concerns. In contrast, citizens become more supportive when presented with arguments related to human rights, democracy, and respect for territorial boundaries. We discuss implications for understanding citizens’ responses to autocratic power strategies and how support likely depends on the type of partner and domestic elite rhetoric.

The Rise of Christian Democracy in Europe

Avrupa’da kendilerini “Hristiyan Demokrat” olarak tanımlayan partiler Almanya başta olmak üzere birçok devletin parlamentosunda önemli çoğunluklara sahiptir. Hem semavi bir dinin kimliğini taşımaları hem de demokrasinin kendisiyle savaş vermeden modern demokrasilerin içinde var olmaları nedeniyle, Hristiyan Demokrasi anlayışı ilgi çekici özellikler taşımaktadır. İşte Oxford Üniversitesi Siyaset ve Uluslararası İlişkiler Bölümü'nde Profesör olan Stathis Kalyvas’ın The Rise of Christian Democracy in Europe isimli kitabı da bu ilgi çekici özelliklerin -Avrupa’da Hristiyan Demokrasi’nin yükselişinin- tarihsel kökenlerinin seyrini sürmektedir. 19. Yüzyılın sonu ile 20. Yüzyılın başı arasında Hristiyan Demokrat partilerin doğuşu, evrimi ve değişen kimliğini açıklamak üzere bir açıklama ve örüntüsellik getirme amacı güden yazar, diğer birçok Hristiyan demokrasi çalışmasından farklı olarak aktörlerin stratejik kararlarının planlanmamış sonuçlar yarattığı sürece odaklanmış ve bu bakış açısıyla siyasi partiler literatürüne önemli katkı vermiştir. Belçika, Hollanda, Avusturya, İtalya, Almanya ve Fransa örneklerindeki Hristiyan Demokrasinin gelişimini inceleyen kitap, bir giriş, bir sonuç ve beş ana bölümden oluşmaktadır.

Political transformations in Poland: will a change of government lead to a change of course?

The article examines the consequences of the change of the Polish government, headed by the right-wing Euro-skeptical Law and Justice party, which has led this country since October 2015. The article presents an analysis of the results of the parliamentary elections in Poland, held on October 15, 2023, in which the PiS won a formal victory, which, however failed to form a majority coalition. As a result, the ruling alliance, which received the right to form a government, was made up of the pre-election association of the parties Civic Coalition, which included the Civic Platform parties led by former Prime Minister Donald Tusk, Modern, the Greens and the Polish Initiative, the Third Way association, which included the parties Poland 2050, the Polish People's Party, the Center for Poland, and the Union the European Democrats, as well as the union of the Left, consisting of the parties New Left and Left together. The assessment of the activities of the leading Polish political parties over the previous four years is given, the main provisions of the election platforms of the main parties and coalitions that were elected to parliament following these elections are analyzed. To identify the dynamics of changes in the political situation in Poland, a comparative analysis of the results of the leading political parties of this country in the elections of 2019 and 2023 was carried out, as well as their main characteristics. The key differences in the approaches of the country's leading parties to the IpR and the Civic Platform on domestic and foreign policy issues, including their attitude to Russia's special military operation in Ukraine, are analyzed. The process of forming a new Polish government and the influence of the country's President Andrzej Duda on it is considered.

Anti-Immigrant Attitudes and Political Participation in Europe

This article investigates the relationship between anti-immigration attitudes and political participation in European democracies. Using data from the European Social Survey (2002–2018), we first show that a participation gap between pro- and anti-immigrant citizens exists for all types of political participation, even though the gap in voting is relatively small. The analyses also show that leftist and centrist anti-immigrant citizens participate less than leftist and centrist pro-immigration citizens, whereas their right-leaning counterparts participate almost as much in politics as do right-leaning pro-immigrant citizens. The observed participation gap points to the fact that there is a reservoir of anti-immigrant leftist and centrist citizens potentially waiting to be mobilized in many European countries.

Insufficient and inadequate democracy? Exploring coloniality and possibilities for the teaching of slavery in Europe

In the context of calls to decolonise education in European contexts, this paper draws on coloniality-based critiques of Eurocentric modernity to take up the links between democracy, slavery, and colonialism in education. Starting from the position that modernity requires epistemological support to sustain racism and white supremacy in European democracies, we read coloniality-based critiques of democracy with empirical literature about the teaching of slavery. We consider possibilities for revised critical engagements with democracy and with the history of European colonialism and slavery. The paper builds on and contributes to recent decolonial critiques of democracy in education by explicitly engaging a tension raised around the possibility of disentangling democracy from its colonial roots.

Tough Positions, Trustful Voters? How Mainstream Party Position-Taking on Immigration Shapes Political Trust and its Impact on Far-Right Voting

Abstract Mainstream parties have taken increasingly restrictive immigration policy positions across Western Europe. Yet the political consequences of this behaviour for citizens' democratic norms and practices are still not well understood. This article focuses on public political trust. Bridging the literatures on immigration-related trust and spatial theory, the spotlight is put on the consequences of mainstream party position-taking on immigration for the interconnectedness of citizens' immigration policy preferences, political distrust and far-right voting. An analysis of data from the Chapel Hill Expert Survey and European Social Survey across 14 Western European democracies (2006–2018) suggests that tougher immigration positions of centre-right parties in government weaken the link between immigration scepticism and political distrust and, in turn, the relevance of political distrust as a precursor of far-right voting. This has important implications for our understanding of immigration politics and advances the existing literatures on party competition, political trust and far-right voting in several ways.