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Jour fixe 02/02/2009
01/28/2009
On Monday, 2nd February 2009, Prof. Dr. Edgar Grande (LMU Munich) will present the results of a research project on the change of cleavage structures, parties and party systems in Western Europe, published in “West European Politics in the Age of Globalization”. The main thesis of his lecture is summarized in the final chapter of the book, which he will complete by current data.
Time: 4pm-6pm
Place: Ihnestraße 26, Room 202 (second floor).
Abstract
Over the past three decades the effects of globalization and denationalization have created a division between ‘winners’ and ‘losers’ in Western Europe. This study examines the transformation of party political systems in six countries (Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and the UK) using opinion surveys, as well as newly collected data on election campaigns. The authors argue that, as a result of structural transformations and the strategic repositioning of political parties, Europe has observed the emergence of a tripolar configuration of political power, comprising the left, the moderate right, and the new populist right. They suggest that, through an emphasis on cultural issues such as mass immigration and resistance to European integration, the traditional focus of political debate - the economy - has been downplayed or reinterpreted in terms of this new political cleavage.
Kriesi, Hanspeter, Grande, Edgar et al. : West European Politics in the Age of Globalization. Cambridge University Press, 2008.
