Read current blog posts of the REGIOPARL team as well as invited guests on the role of the regions in EUrope, the Future of Europe debate and REGIOPARL activities within the framework of our field research in the regions here.
The Future of Europe through the Eyes of regional MPs: Committed Pessimism
Against the backdrop of the Conference on the Future of Europe the role of the regions within the EU’s future multilevel system has been raised once more. Based on the data raised through a survey to regional MPs carried out by the research project REGIOPARL in seven EU member states, this question will be examined […]
Debating Europe – citizen dialogues in regions?
Citizen participation within the framework of the Conference on the Future of Europe is nothing new. The EU has been using participatory instruments for several years. However, the conceptualization and implementation of these formats at European level is often being criticized and the success seems to be limited. Having participated in a regional citizen dialogue, […]
What can regional and local election results teach us for the study of populism?
After the Eurozone crisis and the so-called European refugee crisis triggered its rise between 2009 and 2015, electoral support for populist parties in Europe seems to have plateaued on a moderate level while scholars continue to debate its societal origins. In this blog post, Gunnar Placzek argues in favor of a stronger focus on regional […]
Regions and the European Green Deal
Droughts, floods, and a decrease in biodiversity: The effects of global warming on European regions are numerous, reflecting their diversity as well as the thereof resulting variety of necessary actions that regions will have to take to combat greenhouse gas emissions. From early on in her EU Commission presidency, Ursula Von der Leyen has pushed […]
Regional elections in France – the latest example of the crisis of the French democracy
Looking at the striking degree of abstention in the latest French regional elections, this blog post analyzes possible causes for this phenomenon. Taking into account pandemic related circumstances and specific characteristics of regional elections, this contribution argues that ultimately the prominent position of presidential elections is the core issue causing a structural threat for the […]