Reinventing Democracy in Europe

Reinventing Democracy in Europe
For a New Politics of Common Interest 

The present economic crisis has dramatically underscored the limitations of the project of European construction outlined in the Lisbon Treaty. At the same time, it has given rise to a great number of doubts regarding the concept of the European Union as a well-founded, wholly democratic and pluralist entity leading the way in human rights and ever-growing social justice.

The duration and deep-rootedness of the crisis is now engendering a spontaneous burgeoning of democratic movements in protest not only against the socially regressive measures now being applied by the traditional political parties but also the expanding presence of xenophobically-inspired political forces.

This is the background of a debate that aims to explore new spaces of thought which might enable us to conceive possible alternative futures for a united Europe on the basis of renewed concepts of democracy, the public sphere and common interests.

Director: Pep Subirós, writer and philosopher 

Programme:

Thursday 3 May at 6 p.m.
Democracy at Stake: The Populist Temptation

Lecturers: Albena Azmanova, University of Kent, Brussels, Claus Offe, Hertie School of Governance, Berlin and Markha Valenta, Tilburg University
Discussants: Rosemary Bechler, editor openDemocracy and Jordi Vaquer, director of CIDOB, Barcelona
Presented and moderated by: Pep Subirós, writer and philosopher 

Friday 4 May, at 6.30 p.m.
For a New Politics of Common Interest

Lecturers: Ash Amin, Cambridge University, Sandra Ezquerra, University of Vic, Yudit Kiss, economist, independent expert and Slawomir Sierakowski, director of Krytyka Polityczna, Warsaw
Discussants: Bashkim Shehu, writer and Carme Colomina, head of International Politics at the newspaper Ara
Presented and moderated by: Laura Balbo, University of Padua.