Sovereignty, Rule of Law and Democracy Challenges in Contemporary Europe

Session Submission Type: Full Paper Panel

Session Description

According to Cas Mudde (2004), we are witnessing a populist Zeitgeist in Europe, as populist movements, parties, and policies gain political traction and influence, and increasingly set the political agendas and (contribute to) run governments. Populism is a multifaceted phenomenon and may be said to be an essentially contested concept. Historically populism has served as a clarion call to popular uproar against all forms of elitist rule and repression. In contemporary Europe, especially variants of right-wing populism are more closely married to nationalism. Its proponents step forth as defenders of exclusivist forms of (ethnic) nationalism in an integrating Europe. Precisely how they reconcile their stance with the European integration process is important to clarify. This panel discusses these issues under the heading of sovereignism. Further, we are interested in the effects of populist policies on rule of law and democracy. What type or mode of representation do populist leaders espouse? To what extent and in what sense is this a mode of representation that deviates from established notions of representative party democracy and what are the long-term democratic implications? Further, EU integration has since the EU’s inception unfolded under material, normative, and constitutional constraints imposed by the member states. The ensuing EU-based political order is therefore an incomplete (when compared to a nation-state), biased, and lopsided political order. That the EU is thus constrained brings up the question of the type of interaction effects that exist between populist-driven forms of exclusion, rights-deprivation, and rule of law violations on the one hand, and the EU’s development as a political and constitutional order on the other. How populist actors contribute to the discussions on the future of Europe helps shed added light on these issues.

Sub Unit

• Division 15: European Politics and Society

Individual Presentations

• Has the Bear Got a New Skin? The Transformation of Nationalism in Europe - Sergio Fabbrini, Luiss Guido Carli

• Exclusion and Segmentation in Contemporary Europe - John Erik Fossum, University of Oslo

• Perceptions of Dominance and Visions of the Future of European Integration - Magdalena Gora, Jagiellonian University

• The Populist Substantialization of Popular Sovereignty - Nadia Urbinati, Columbia University

Chair

• R. Daniel Kelemen Rutgers University, New Brunswick

Discussant

• R. Daniel Kelemen Rutgers University, New Brunswick