The elections to the European Parliament have demonstrated that the debates concerning European integration and membership of the EU are more polarized than ever before. Numerous Eurosceptic and populist parties have arisen, exploiting the frustration of many citizens with the economic, social and fiscal consequences of the crisis. The success of these parties and the helpless reactions of the European elites demonstrate that Europe’s political crisis is possibly only just starting. In any event the new parties fundamentally call into question the implicit consensus that for a long time shaped citizens’ attitude towards ‘Europe’. Their emotional discourse appeals to the ‘gut feeling’ of the citizens. Simple solutions are offered to complex problems. Nevertheless, the phenomenon of populism is complex and highly in need of explanation. It is often difficult to decide which policy is populist and which is not. “One man’s populism is another man’s democracy, and vice versa”. (Ralf Dahrendorf). What do we need to know in order to react appropriately to populist and Eurosceptic movements?
This workshop will examine – drawing on the theses of Ivan Krastev and Jan Werner Müller, who regard populism as being connected with a crisis of the elites – the causes of the rise of populism in Europe. In a second part of the workshop, theses on how to successfully respond to populist arguments will be will be developed. The concern here will not to be to come up with a magic formula. Rather, recommendations are to be drawn up as to how citizenship education can meet the challenge of populist movements in terms of content and method.
Inputs:
Interner Link: Ivan Krastev, Centre for Liberal Strategies (Bulgaria)
Interner Link: Nick Startin, University of Bath (United Kingdom)
Moderation: Caroline Hornstein- Tomić, Ivo Pilar Institute of Social Sciences (Croatia)
