debating progressive politics in Europe and beyond
In recent years, the European Union – or, more accurately, the powerful countries of northern Europe – has been subjecting its weaker members to social and political “stress tests” in the name of fiscal rectitude. As a result, southern Europe and parts of Eastern Europe have become a kind of public-policy laboratory, with experiments producing [...]
Paul Taggart assesses the challenge of populism to European democracy. He argues that while populism can have significant negative effects on representative politics, the demonisation of populist parties is self-defeating. Rather than tackling populism as a concept, it is important to deal substantively with the issues raised by populist politicians, such as immigration, multiculturalism and European [...]
In February 2010, 20 economists including a number of academics of note signed a letter that endorsed the Conservative Party’s deficit reduction plan for the UK. Although 20 is a small number (I’m sure many more – like me – were asked to sign and did not), they made up in quality what they lacked in quantity. [...]
“If the mountain will not come to Muhammad, then Muhammad must go to the mountain”. If one’s will does not prevail, one must submit to an alternative. So it happens with Mr Varoufaki’s analysis on the Greek election result whereby he tries to make a majoritarian political case for his personal economic view against the [...]
Greek voters gave their contradictory verdict: While 55% voted for parties that stood explicitly against the ‘bailout’ terms and conditions, a pro-’bailout’ government is about to be formed – such is the nature of Greece’s electoral system (which rewards the largest party with a bonus of 50 additional MPs in the 300 seat chamber). The [...]
The important elections in Greece and France are now behind us and the results will hopefully have a decisive impact on European crisis politics. The days after such important elections are also ‘talking heads’ time. I was on Al Jazeera International and on Sky News to discuss the implications of the election results for European [...]
Suddenly, manufacturing is back – at least on the election trail. But don’t be fooled. The real issue isn’t how to get manufacturing back. It’s how to get good jobs and good wages back. They aren’t at all the same thing. Republicans have become born-again champions of American manufacturing. This may have something to do [...]
Saturday’s Latvian parliamentary election was a success for the centre-left coalition, the Harmony Centre, which became the largest parliamentary group with 32 of the 100 seats in the Saeima. Harmony Centre is a coalition between the Social Democratic Party Harmony (SDPS) and the Socialist Party (LSP) and has in particular its support in the Russian-speaking minority. Despite the electoral success, it is unlikely that they will get seats in the government. 13 parties participated in the elections and five passed the five percent threshold: Party Election [...]
Norwegian municipalities that have a stronger economy because they can charge property tax on hydroelectric power plants in the municipality also have a higher voter turnout, according to a study by researchers at BI Norwegian Business School (Handelshøyskolen BI). The researchers looked at voter turnout in municipal elections in 2007 and compared those municipalities that [...]
In the Danish business newspaper Børsen, we read that there are major differences in opinion polls before the election September 15. In Voxmeter’s survey, there is an extended lead for the centre-left, 98 seats against the centre-right’s 77 seats. In Megafon’s survey the other hand, there is only 90-85 in the allocation of seats to [...]
The local elections in Norway and the parliamentary elections in Denmark are fast approaching. And current polls show that the gap is decreasing the closer we get to the election days. In Norway, which has local elections on September 12, it is now clear that the wave of sympathy that carried the Labour Party in [...]
A few days ago I wrote about an opinion poll in Denmark. Now Prime Minister Lars Løkke Rasmussen has announced that parliamentary elections will be held on September 15th. That is only three days after the Norwegian voters go to the ballot boxes in the local elections. These are two important dates if you want [...]
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