Those who bet their political career on EU reforms are likely to return from Brussels with little to show to their voters. It is time to embark on a more realistic European agenda.
One lesson we are learning is that although Brussels is important, it is not a universal solution. Brussels is used as an excuse in Bulgaria so that we do not worry about political lobbying, the judicial system, and the media, because somebody else has the big stick. An interview with Dimitar Bech
The European election is the last major political set piece event in the UK before Scotland votes on its constitutional future. Who wins that vote could have a profound impact on the country.
This excerpt is taken from the encounter between Beppe Grillo and Matteo Renzi on 19 February. Commentary follows.
The newly announced Le Pen-Wilders alliance in the European parliament has re-ignited speculation about the rise of the far-right in Europe. What can we expect from this new EU supergroup?
Doc Next Network is calling on media makers to share their views on Europe on video. The network of independent culture and media platforms across Europe aims to engage young Europeans through creative media works, encouraging makers and audiences alike to reflect on what democracy and representat
The financial crisis has resulted in xenophobic immigration policies and a rise of far-right movements across Europe. Who is to blame?
These are extracts from citizen consultations in Kuopio, regional centre of 100,000 inhabitants in the middle of a vast rural area 380 kilometres northeast from Helsinki. Kuopio is famous for its easy-going, down-to-earth people, and its contribution to Finnish arts, philosophy and the nineteenth
These extracts draw on citizen consultation in Maastricht, the capital city of Limburg, a southern region of the Netherlands that has its own identity, including its own officially recognized regional language. The region is known as a stronghold of the PVV, especially in former mining areas in th
This excerpt is from a debate in the European Parliament referring to the expiry on 1 January 2014 of temporary labour restrictions on Bulgarian and Romanian workers (on 15 January 2014). Commentary follows.
The post-1989 generation is the ‘shallow generation’ because of its proclivity for apathy. How can this inherently political problem be addressed?
These remarks, extracted from a meeting with citizens in Leidsche Rijn, confirm findings that only 20% of Dutch voters have trust in politics. Nostalgia for the old times when equality and consensus were at the heart of Dutch politics and life underlie the success of populism in the country.
