Throughout the DIALOGUE ON EUROPE process, the project’s contributors published several analyses and op-eds on specific issues related to the four main themes of the project. They also conducted a series of interviews with experts from the different project countries. In March 2018, the four Thinking Labs released their Policy Briefs with specific Policy Recommendations to be implemented at the European and national level, in order to face the main current challenges in Europe.
News
After Brexit, should the Eurozone pursue full political union?
Brendan Simms in the New Statesman Magazine about possible trajectories of the European Union after the Brexit.
“The European Union is a victim of its own success”
Cas Mudde on the root causes of populism in Europe
Cas Mudde is one of the most renowned experts on political extremism and populism in Europe. He is Associate Professor of International Affairs at the University of Georgia and Researcher at the Center for Research on Extremism at the University of Oslo. In his interview for DIALOGUE ON EUROPE he talks about the structural reasons behind the rise of populist movements all over Europe, the failure of the traditional parties and why tax havens, unlike migration issues, are not part of the political agenda.
Populism is not the problem
Why we should focus on values in political debate instead of style
Populism is everywhere these days. Not only as a phenomenon but also as a topic in political discourse. Yet, the closer you look at it, the more you will realize that populism is quite a messy term. It signifies everything from an unease towards dissent, to the fear of a weakened democracy. More importantly, once you get a grip on how you define the term you will realize that populism may be destructive and inflammatory but is not the real problem. It is mostly a symptom for fundamental conflicts in society.
Does Tony Blair have an answer to Shakespeare’s Hotspur?
Professor Richard Rose analyses the result of the Brexit referendum
Tony Blair’s call to spirits to rise up from the deep to throw off Brexit was worthy of Owen Glendower’s faith in his magical powers. So too is the reply that Shakespeare gave Hotspur: ‘Why so can I or so can any man. But will they come when you do call for them?’ Blair’s cosmopolitan audience showed there are people in the City of London welcoming his call to remain in the European Union. But his talk gave no hint of how troops raised in the Square Mile could successfully capture Parliament. (more…)
Smart thinking is needed to control immigration
Might it be possible for the government to copy Switzerland and focus on internal controls?
Internal controls are a smarter modern way of controlling immigration and should be examined carefully before a unilateral Home Office decision – almost certainly unworkable – turns Article 50 into a train crash.
We Need Good Answers Now
Hanno Burmester on the election of Donald Trump
The helplessness of the left allows the triumph of the right. Five hypotheses on the election of Donald Trump
What We Can Learn from Populists – A Populist Backlash in the Philippines
Duterte: The Success of the "Celebrity Maverick"
How come the “celebrity maverick” has proven so successful with his unconventional, violent and vile approach? Why does Duterte’s populism attract so many voters and enabled him to become President?
After Trump’s Success: A Convergence of the Populist Challenge

The unexpected happened and we are still searching for an answer why it happened and what might be the adequate response. This essay attempts to look for the reasons of the current success of populists on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean and to face the challenge that is produced by this convergence.
Populism: Not Left, not Right, not an Alternative?
A symptom of a failing political culture
For a few years now, Western liberal democracies have seen the rise in populist parties on the far left and on the far right of the political spectrum, while mainstream parties do not seem to convince dissatisfied voters any more. Is populism an alternative to traditional left and right wing political parties, as most of them pretend to be?
Political Communication of Populist Parties: The cases of Podemos and AfD
The Digital Advantage and Social Media Authority of Populist Parties
The Spanish party Podemos and the German “Alternative for Germany” could not be, apparently, more opposed. However, there is one thing which brings them together: They both successfully use digital communication to reach their electorate in new, unmediated ways.