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#1 - The Comparative Politics of Solidarity

Workshop Chairs:

Peter Thijssen, University of Antwerp
Ann-Kathrin Reinl, Ghent University & GSI University Munchen

Workshop Abstract:

Especially in times of crisis and austerity, political elites provide reasons why some individuals and social groups are more deserving of support than others (Van Oorschot, 2006). This might explain a resurgence of social group politics and the interest in group solidarity, e.g. racial solidarity, migrant solidarity, and class solidarity; but also solidarity going beyond well-established ingroups, and making a bridge towards outgroups such as transnational solidarity in the EU, both as dependent variable (Katsanidou et al., 2022) or independent variable (Pellegata & Visconti, 2022). This workshop welcomes theoretical as well as empirical studies investigating ingroup and outgroup solidarities within and between societies, but especially also the comparison hereof. Recently researchers have also realized that political actors may use similar solidarity frames to endorse support for different social groups. In this sense overarching solidarity frames are akin to thin ideologies, going beyond specific social groups and/or specific issues (Stjerno, 2005). Solidarity frames explain under what conditions solidarity is supposed to arise and why. While such discursive devices were only rarely studied in the past (Kneuer et al. 2022) lately scholars started studying them in party manifestoes (Thijssen & Verheyen, 2022) and newspapers (Wallaschek, 2020). Secondly, this workshop welcomes papers taking stock of these findings and/or comparing solidarity framing across time and/or space. Multiple studies have also studied public solidarity attitudes and actions, especially in the context of recent financial, migration, Brexit, and COVID crises (Lahusen & Grasso, 2018; Bremer et al. 2021). However, we do not know whether they are generalizable and congruent with the aforementioned supply-side studies. Is there adequate political representation of the preferences regarding solidarity? Moreover, we also don’t know whether crisis effects are specific and to what extent they are mediated by welfare state provisions. Hence, thirdly we welcome solidarity studies focusing on public solidarity preferences.

Workshop Language:

English

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#2A/B - Political Psychology: Governing Hearts and Minds

Due to popular demand, this workshop is deduplicated into workshops 2A and 2B.

 

Workshop Chairs:

Emma Turkenburg, KU Leuven & University of Amsterdam
Sjors Overman, Utrecht University & Netherlands Institute of Governance

Additional Chairs for Workshop 2B: Lisa Janssen (UGent) en Eelco Harteveld (UvA).

Workshop Abstract:

People can feel threatened by international crises, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, or Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. They are angry at mishaps in public service delivery, like in the Dutch childcare benefits scandal [toeslagenschandaal]. Politicians may regretfully apologize for mistakes in Parliament. The hearts and minds of politicians, voters, and public servants are really at the core of the political process. Emotions, attitudes, and personality drive much political behavior, from decisions made by the government to the delivery of public services on the ground. In other words, political psychology has important consequences for all aspects of politics and governance. This workshop invites scholars to submit abstracts for presentations on a wide range of topics related to political psychology. Potential topics include (but are not limited to) the role of cognitive and emotional processes, personality, motivation, and identity in political decision-making and the governance of public services; the effects of social and cultural factors on political attitudes and behaviors; and the causes, consequences and psychological underpinnings of political polarization. We welcome submissions from researchers using a variety of academic methods, including qualitative, quantitative, and theoretical approaches, and especially look forward to receiving submissions that use innovative methods to measure emotions, attitudes, or other individual traits. Abstracts exploring the intersection of political psychology with other disciplines, such as sociology, communication science, and public administration are particularly encouraged. By bringing together scholars from different disciplines and methodological backgrounds, this panel aims to foster interdisciplinary dialogue and exchange of ideas on the psychological foundations of political behavior, attitude formation, and decision-making. We hope to provide a forum for researchers to share their latest findings, reflect on the state of the field, and identify directions for future political psychology research.

This workshop will also host recent ERC-laureate prof. dr. Barbara Vis as a discussant, who will reflect on the conversations in the panel. Her discussion will connect the individual paper discussions, such that we can elevate the scientific quality of the workshop to a higher level.

Workshop Language:

English

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#3 - Technoscientific Geopolitics: Towards New Sites of Power and Resistance

Workshop Chairs:

Malcolm Campbell-Verduyn, University of Groningen
Raluca Csernatoni, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Marijn Hoijtink, University of Antwerp

Workshop Abstract:

Science and technology are central but often implicit constitutive elements of (geo)politics. Their intersections in technoscientific politics have become increasingly prominent, however, as a result of geopolitical fissures in, at, and between national borders. From techno-nationalism and digital sovereignty debates to a rush of research and development into disruptive technologies, technoscience is increasingly being instrumentalized for national security, growth, and social stability goals. Non-state actors such as big digital platforms have become both agents and sites of (geo)political calculations by states. On-going conflicts in Myanmar, Ukraine, Yemen, and around the world draw attention to drones and increasingly autonomous weapons but also to attempts at escaping sanctions and financing purchases of both defensive and offensive (cyber) warfare technologies through cryptocurrencies and other financial technologies. At the same time as they are being instrumentalized by state and non-state actors, technoscience can be said to have agential and socio-technical effects. Technologies, their production, and their application are all shaped by geopolitics. Yet technoscience is also an important shaping force of international power politics as well as potential sites of resistance. The ways in which agency has traditionally been conceptualized – that is, as human action – are thereby being refined in and across various fields of politics attuned to the co-constitutive roles of humans, science, and technology. This workshop invites empirical and conceptual contributions from across political science, International Relations (IR), legal studies, and Science and Technology Studies (STS) exploring the world-making capacities of technoscience. Topics of interest include (but are not limited to) the technoscientific geopolitics of:

  • (Big) data and the global roles of digital platforms
  • Innovation and ‘disruptive’ technologies
  • Security, weaponry, and (cyber) warfare
  • Financial technologies (Fintechs), energy, and climate change
  • Governance, standardization, norms
  • Technologies as regulation (RegTech)

 

Workshop Language:

English

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#4 - Digital Political Science: Bringing Computational Data Gathering and Analysis to Political Science

Workshop Chairs:

Evelien Willems, University of Antwerp
Tom Willaert, Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Diliara Valeeva, University of Amsterdam
Frederik Heylen, Datamarinier

Workshop Abstract:

Digitalization presents both challenges and opportunities to political science. For one thing, emerging resources such as digitized documents or social media data hold the promise of new research questions and paradigms. Testament to this is the recent and widespread insights gained through text analysis and natural language processing, network analysis, or predictive modeling. For another, these emerging data types and their associated analysis methods pose significant challenges to the field of political science. One major challenge lies in reconciling dominant research questions and methods in the field with these new data types, methods, and techniques. How, for instance, might methods like surveys, interviews, ‘close reading’ and manual content analysis relate to what we have come to be known as the methods of `Big Data’? At which points might insights gained from both challenge or complement each other? And what could be the position of theory in more empirically-driven, computational approaches?

This panel offers a forum for reflection on these questions by inviting contributions demonstrating how classic political science questions can be tackled through computational data gathering or analysis techniques. This includes, but is not limited to, methods from natural language processing, social network analysis, and `digital methods’. Thematically, the panel seeks to establish a connection to recent international scholarly efforts in addressing more pressing societal problems like disinformation, inequality, radicalization, and polarization. Theoretically, the panel focuses on political science fields covering political behavior, political communication, political representation, and public policy. We encourage novice and experienced computational researchers to submit and participate in the panel discussions.

Workshop Language:

English

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#5 - Revitalizing Democracy Through Citizen Participation: Taking Stock and Looking Ahead

Workshop Chairs:

Léon Acar, Ghent University & KU Leuven
Ank Michels, Utrecht University
Lieven Boelen, Ghent University
Charlotte Wagenaar, Tilburg University

Workshop Abstract:

We live in an era of political disenchantment and trust in representative institutions is waning. Representative institutions seem unable to provide satisfactory answers to many of the challenges our societies face today. In light of this, citizen participation is often resorted to as it constitutes a potential avenue to revitalize representative democracy. Participatory initiatives are, amongst others, believed to enhance political support, legitimacy, effectiveness, and efficiency. However, the road to a form of governance that embodies the merits of representative democracy and the assumed benefits of participatory governance are paved with uncertainties. First, involving citizens in (local) governance has consequences for the existing institutions, elected officials, civil servants, civil society, and the general public. What are the consequences for their roles, tasks, and perceptions, and how can participatory processes be embedded in (local) democracy? Second, new participatory processes, including deliberative, electronic, and hybrid combinations of direct and deliberative arrangements, also raise questions about the design, management, and sustainability of these arrangements. And, third, although we see a growing variety of forms of citizen participation, the question remains what the actual effects of these processes are. Are there also negative effects? And to what extent do such processes live up to their promise of revitalizing democracy?

This panel welcomes empirical and theoretical contributions that investigate these issues. We welcome a variety of approaches, such as case studies, comparative analyses of participation in different contexts and across different levels (local/regional/(sub)national/international), evaluative research, normative approaches, and research with a more explorative character.

Workshop Language:

English

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#6 - Ethnic Minorities: On Political Participation, Gender, and Sexuality

Workshop Chairs:

Floris Vermeulen, University of Amsterdam
Samira Azabar, University of Antwerp
Els de Graauw, City University of New York
Niels Spierings, Radboud University

Workshop Abstract:

One cannot understand current politics without a proper understanding of the roles played by ethnic-minority actors as well as their anti-migrant counterparts. While much knowledge exists on the ethnic participation gap and voting behavior, an ever-changing context leads to new questions, as linked to debates on decolonization, systemic discrimination, or minorities’ resistance tactics unraveling one’s agency. What explains ethnic minorities’ political choices? Are Muslim identity and anti-Islam discrimination becoming more important drivers of political participation? Does this lead to narrowing participation gaps? What are the dominant threats in anti-migration politics? And, how do intersecting power dynamics i.e. ethnicity/race, religion, class, and/or gender play a role among minorities’ mobilization?

Second, not only ethnic minorities’ political participation has been scrutinized, but also the divergent views on gender and sexuality of ethnic minorities, claiming to impede democratization processes. Are Muslims more traditional compared to mainstream groups? Do minority groups differ from each other concerning gender equality issues? How are these topics used to construct the Muslim Other?

This workshop focuses on the contemporary role of ethnic-minority status, Islam, and migration (EMIM) in low countries (from a comparative perspective) in relation to public outcries on a threatened national identity. Empowerment/inclusion as well as rejection/anti-EMIM politics are covered. Amongst others, we welcome (theoretical, overview, qualitative and quantitative) papers on:

  • the influence of racist, anti-migration, and anti-Islam politics/contexts on the mobilization of ethnic minorities, Muslim and migrant citizens, and vice versa;
  • the ethnic minorities’ views on gender equality, and explanations hereof;
  • the ways in which the intersections of ethnicity, religion, and gender shape the political behavior and gender views of ethnic/religious minorities;
  • the impact of the narratives of radical right parties on minorities’ belonging in western countries;
  • the role of EMIM issues in anti-migration and PRR politics in the low countries

 

Workshop Language:

English

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#6 - Decolonizing the Low Countries: Taboo, Amnesia, and Politicisation 

Workshop Chairs:

Zeger Verleye, University of Antwerp
Samira Azabar, Radboud University & University of Antwerp
Pieter Verheyen, Vrije Universiteit Brussel & University of Antwerp
Rowan Brouwers, not affiliated

Workshop Abstract:

The colonial past of Belgium and the Netherlands has been heavily criticized since the 1990s. Documentaries (e.g. Kinderen van de Kolonie, Metissen van België) and books (e.g. Congo, een geschiedenis by David Van Reybrouck, Dochter van de dekolonisatie by Nadia Nsayi, Roofstaat by Ewald Vanvug, Slavernij en beschaving by Karwan Fatah-Black) on this topic have become commonplace. Yet, public debate on past colonialism and its present continuities have only recently become politically significant and polarising (e.g. the "Black Pete" discussion, apologies, the Congo commission). Observers and researchers alike have argued that this absence of public and political interest is evidence of both a historical taboo and colonial amnesia, implying an absence of knowledge and desire to discuss the colonial past. The political-scientific research on this decolonization debate has, however, remained scarce. Moreover, the recent politicization of the debate in Belgium and the Netherlands following the Black Lives Matter protests raises multiple questions concerning the continuing robustness of a colonial taboo and amnesia in the low countries: • What is their origin and practice? • How are they challenged and sustained? • What impact did the recent BLM protests have on the decolonization debate and the colonial taboo and amnesia? • How do activists and governments interact with them? • How does the debate differ between Belgium and the Netherlands? • Which different processes of responsibility and accountability can be identified?

The goal of this workshop is to interact with these questions and draft a novel research agenda bringing together researchers from different methodological traditions in social science. Welcoming (draft) papers using qualitative, quantitative as well as multi- and mixed-method designs. We aim  to offer a platform to encourage a broader academic engagement with and study into the decolonization debate in both Belgium and the Netherlands.

Workshop Language:

English

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#7 - Party Behaviour in Electoral, Executive, and Legislative Arenas

Workshop Chairs:

Rick van Well, Leiden University
Željko Poljak, University of Antwerp

Workshop Abstract:

In modern democracies, political parties are the primary vehicles of political competition. In recent years, however, parties face several challenges: they must operate in a context of an ever more unpredictable electorate, the loss of electoral support for previously strong centrist parties, and the rise of challenger parties. Rather than addressing their internal functioning, this workshop focuses on parties’ behavior within institutions, i.e. how parties perform within electoral, executive, and legislative arenas.

Parties need to position themselves and focus on specific policy issues or trait characteristics to win elections, offering voters coherent and contrasting sets of alternatives to choose from at elections. Between elections, party competition is shaped in day-to-day politics in the executive and legislature. What are the causes and consequences of political conflict in routine politics when parties also aim to acquire office and policy gains? Executives may be affected by intra-party divisions between factions or inter-party dynamics in coalitions. Legislatures may serve as an arena in which parties compete with one another or as a marketplace in which legislators seek cooperation to affect policy outcomes.

The workshop specifically focuses on the interaction, competition, and cooperation between parties in elections, executives, and legislatures. We invite papers on the intersection of party politics, legislative studies, and political executives. The workshop aspires to tackle but is not restricted to topics such as party behavior during election campaigns, issue competition and issue entrepreneurship, mainstream and challenger parties, government formation and termination, executive decision-making, parliamentary activities (e.g. voting, questions, speeches), policy-making (e.g. agenda-setting, legislative committees, amendments), executive-legislative relations, and all related themes. We aim for a diversity of perspectives in terms of theories and methods, as well as a mix of contributions from junior and senior scholars.

Workshop Language:

English

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#8 - Cooperation and Legitimacy in International Relations

Workshop Chairs:

Hylke Dijkstra, Maastricht University
Jutta Joachim, Radboud University Nijmegen
Bertjan Verbeek, Radboud University Nijmegen

Workshop Abstract:

International cooperation and multilateralism have prospered after the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, but in the last decade, they have appeared in crisis. The United States, under President Donald Trump, has withdrawn from the Paris Agreement on climate change, and the Iran nuclear deal. It has cut funding for the World Health Organization, blocked the appointment of judges to the WTO appellate body, and questioned the fundamentals of NATO. The BRICS countries have suggested a range of alternative international forums and China has set up the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Belt and Road Initiative. The European Union, realizing that it can no longer rely on other international actors, is meanwhile pursuing “strategic autonomy”. The Russian war against Ukraine put multilateralism further under pressure. The crisis of international cooperation should, however, not only be seen through the prism of geopolitics. International cooperation is also heavily contested domestically. Populist and populist governments are frustrating international cooperation. The Trump administration is one example, but the Brexit referendum has also had severe effects on cooperation in Europe, and the rule of law crises in Hungary and Poland show the contested nature of European legitimacy. Trade agreements are increasingly contested and fail to be ratified and properly implemented.

Meanwhile, the rise of authoritarianism also puts further constraints on international cooperation. In other words, the infamous “liberal international order” seems under threat. Scholars have started to study the decline of international cooperation, how cooperation is contested and delegitimized/legitimized, and the crisis of liberal international order. The purpose of this workshop is to bring together all scholars with an interest in international relations in the Low Countries to take stock of cooperation and legitimacy in international relations.

Workshop Language:

English

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#9 - Younger Generations and Democratic Support: Innovative Approaches

Workshop Chairs:

Elina Kestilä-Kekkonen, Tampere University
Tom van der Meer, University of Amsterdam

Workshop Abstract:

Healthy sustainable democracies require sufficient support among citizens, as well as widespread support across societal groups (Thomassen, 2007). Yet, in the past few decades, there have been continuous upsurges of concerns with support for democracy, especially among younger generations (e.g. Foa & Mounk, 2016; Niemi & Klingler, 2012; Print, 2007). Adolescents are claimed to be less supportive of liberal democracy and its core values. Nevertheless, most empirical research on democratic support is based on adults instead of on adolescents, indicating a major knowledge gap in the literature, especially regarding the development of democratic support in the period in life that is said to be the most malleable. Indeed, adolescence is a key period in forming political attitudes and behaviors, implying that the ways in which citizens perceive, navigate, or value democracy tend to solidify once adulthood is reached (Dekker, German, & Landtsheer, 2020). To study young people’s support for democracy in full, new innovative approaches to political socialization are needed.

Our workshop invites scholars to contribute to this innovation in several ways. First, detecting socialization processes and their universal character requires novel methodological perspectives that call for longitudinal data, cross-country comparisons, and (quasi-)experiments. Second, the scholarly discussion should be revived on the measures of vertical democratic support (i.e., attitudinal and behavioral support for the state, its regime, principles, values, and institutions); younger generations may conceptualize democracy and democratic participation differently. Third, as young people are not a uniform group, a focus on (the roots of) persistent social inequalities in democratic support remains urgent (see e.g. Bos et al. 2021; Janmaat & Hoskins 2022). Finally, different agents in the socialization process (parents, schools, organizations teachers, and peers in the same cohort) should be investigated more closely and preferably in interaction with each other (Niemi & Junn, 1998).

Workshop Language:

English

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#10 - Political Parties and Their Networks in the 21st Century

Workshop Chairs:

Britt Vande Walle, KU Leuven
Nick Martin, University of Amsterdam

Workshop Abstract:

Party politics in Western Europe has changed profoundly in recent decades. Declining electoral turnout, increasing electoral volatility, the shrinkage of party membership, the rise of populist challengers, and the increasing importance of social media have put political parties under pressure and brought the capacity of political parties to channel the political participation and engagement of citizens into question. The workshop will present papers that explore how political parties as organizations and their ‘networks’ - widely conceived - have adapted to the many contemporary challenges parties face. How do mainstream political parties respond to electoral decline? How do parties deal with financial challenges? How have new party challengers and social movements influenced the way mainstream parties engage with citizens? How have parties adapted their strategies of connection to organized civil society? And how have radical populist actors adapted their political and organizational strategies to exploit dissatisfaction with mainstream parties?
Potential topics for workshop papers include:
  • The (re-) organization of political parties and their finances
  • The development of parties’ communication strategies in a multi-media environment
  • Resilience and evolution of ‘partisan networks’
  • ‘Ruling the Void’ – 10 years on: Peter Mair’s seminal book was published in 2013 but how have its arguments stood the test of time – papers might look at the evidence for Mair’s claims, implications for the argument of the entry of populists into government, and the dynamic nature of parties relationships with civil society
  • The evolving patterns of organization of ‘movement’ parties
  • Engagement of populist radical right parties with civil society and social movements
  • The development of parties’ networks of policy formation and interest representation
  • The ‘post-Cartel Party’ organization and ‘techno-populism’ as a new prevailing logic of party competition in Western European democracies
  • Perspectives on, and strategies of, political parties and/or civil society organizations in response to a changing party system
  • Mobilization of citizens and protests during and after the Coronavirus pandemic
  • Challenges posed to the legitimacy and resilience of systems of interest represented by the exclusion of radical political and civil actors
  • The potential of the ‘multispeed’ party organization to address deficits in parties' engagement with citizens

 

Workshop Language:

English

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#11 - Lokale Politiek in Nederland en Vlaanderen

Workshop Chairs:

Peter Castenmiller, Universiteit Leiden
Herwig Reynaert, Universiteit Gent

Workshop Abstract:

Als je rustig aan wilt doen, ben je binnen het lokale bestuur aan het verkeerde adres. Zo lijkt de coronapandemie alweer even voorbij, maar er staan allerlei andere uitdagingen voor de deur te trappelen. Dat betreft in Nederland de invoering van de Omgevingswet, de gevolgen van de Wet Open Overheid en de Klimaat- en stikstofcrisis. In Vlaanderen is het niet anders. De lokale besturen hebben na de coronacrisis o.a. te kampen met de Oekraïnecrisis, de energiecrisis en de inflatie. Het is voor heel veel lokale besturen meer dan uitkijken om alles nog financieel op orde te houden. Daarnaast lijken Vlaamse gemeenten hun aarzelingen bij mogelijke herindelingen meer en meer te overwinnen. Of is het toch de druk van mogelijke verplichte fusies? Tevens zijn er naar aanleiding van de gemeenteraadsverkiezingen in 2024 heel wat wijzigingen. De opkomstplicht bij de lokale verkiezingen wordt afgeschaft. Stemrecht wordt ingevoerd. Bovendien verdwijnt de invloed van de lijststem.

De ondertussen traditionele, langstlopende workshop tijdens het PoliticologenEtmaal, over lokale politiek, zal ook dit jaar weer een platform bieden om hierover van gedachten te wisselen. Peter Castenmiller (PBLQ/Universiteit Leiden/VU) en Herwig Reynaert (Universiteit Gent) zullen de workshop opnieuw organiseren. De workshop is dé ontmoetingsplaats voor alle politicologen in Nederland en Vlaanderen die zich bezig houden met het lokale bestuur. Onze insteek impliceert dat allerlei bijdragen over lokale politiek en bestuur meer dan welkom zijn. Het essentiële doel van onze workshop is immers om elke politicoloog die zich bezighoudt met lokale besturen een platform en ontmoetingsplaats te bieden waar kennis, ervaringen en inzichten uitgewisseld kunnen worden. Bovendien bieden wij weer graag de mogelijkheid om naast die uitwisseling van kennis en informatie ook de persoonlijke relaties te versterken.

Workshop Language:

Nederlands

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#12 - Experimental Research in Political Science 

Workshop Chairs:

Kathleen Brown, Leiden University
Matthew DiGiuseppe, Leiden University
Alessia Aspide, Leiden University

Workshop Abstract:

This panel aims to bring together scholars engaged in experimental methods across diverse areas of political science research. Experiments are of growing importance across the field and the rapid development of experimental research design presents the opportunity for scholars to engage with each other about cutting-edge methods. Experimental research has valuable applications in the areas of international political economy, conflict, political psychology, and party politics among others. An increasing number of scholars in Dutch and Flemish universities use experimental methods to study topics in politics and policy, and this workshop aims to deepen the discussion of experimental research design and foster collaboration with a diverse set of scholars.

This workshop welcomes work on a broad range of topics that makes use of survey experiments as well as other empirical causal work such as field experiments and natural/quasi-experimental methods. Our goal is to encourage connections between colleagues working on innovative experimental design and to share best practices that will inform and improve experimental research. One challenge of experimental methods is that there are few opportunities to fix shortcomings in a research design once an experiment is in the field. Further, there are few opportunities for scholars to receive feedback at the crucial research-design stage. To help remedy this, we encourage the submission of rigorous pre-analysis plans as well as complete research papers.

Workshop Language:

English

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#13 - Political Economy of Europe in Turbulent Times

Workshop Chairs:

Toon Van Overbeke, Maastricht University
Fabio Bulfone, Leiden University

Workshop Abstract:

Europe is facing a turbulent socio-economic and political climate. Soaring inflation, a vexing energy crisis as well the twin transition towards an increasingly digital and green economy all pose deep and complex distributive challenges to governments and institutions across the continent. For political economy, this juncture is of particular interest since it challenges scholars to empirically map the changes that the continent is undergoing as well as to update our models of the political economy accordingly. This panel, therefore, aims to bring together political economy scholars from across the low countries interested in understanding the political economy of these macro-challenges in Europe.

We particularly invite scholars interested in either a. the influence of institutions and politics at large on the changing economic environment in Europe from a comparative angle or b. the electoral/political behavioral impact of these socio-economic changes. Within this remit, we are open to empirical contributions using either qualitative or novel quantitative methods as well as theoretical approaches that seek to integrate, innovate or build on existing political economy paradigms (Baccaro et al. 2022; Hassel and Palier 2021; Beramendi et al. 2015; Hall and Soskice 2001) to better understand the key challenges facing European political economies. As such, we hope to stimulate a synthetic and interdisciplinary political economy discussion on the European political economy.

Workshop Language:

English

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#14A/B - EU Politics, Democracy, and Governance

Due to popular demand, this workshop is deduplicated into workshops 2A and 2B.

Workshop Chairs:

Gijs Jan Brandsma, Radboud University
Nathalie Brack, ULB
Gilles Pittoors, Ghent University
Reinout van der Veer, Radboud University

Workshop Abstract:

Over the years, the EU has moved from a largely elite-led diplomatic project to a system of multilevel governance, in which member states share policy-making with supranational institutions. It has become contested among political elites and the public alike, and its democratic nature is more relevant than ever. Since the early 2000s, we have witnessed increasing public contention over European matters in election campaigns and party and media discourse. The shift in the power balance between national governments and supranational institutions started to influence the attitudes and behavior of political parties and ordinary citizens, calling attention to the nature of the EU as a democracy, and the actors and institutions involved in the practices of democratic politics in the EU's multilevel system. The deep economic and political interdependence in Europe becomes vividly clear in times of crisis (e.g. COVID-19, migration, the Eurozone crisis). Even to the least politically aware, rifts can be seen from North to South about questions of redistribution of resources and power, and from East to West about the core values underlying the European project. This workshop aims to bring together contributions about the core challenges that the EU faces today.

We invite papers about the full breadth of research into EU politics, democracy, and governance, for instance: • Public opinion and Mass Media • Political Parties • Representation and Citizenship • EP Elections and Spitzenkandidaten • Political Bargaining • Political Institutions • EU-member state relations • Inter-parliamentary Relations • Europeanisation • EU Policy • Legitimacy • Processes of Integration and Disintegration. These topics can be approached from an empirical or normative angle, from a variety of methodological standpoints and levels of analysis, including the regional, national, and European levels. We welcome papers from academics as well as practitioners.

Workshop Language:

English

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