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Articles on European politics

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EPA/Julien Warnand

German lessons

Impressionistic, subjective snapshots of complex societies are best avoided. And yet when you actually get the chance to live somewhere – even briefly – like most forms of temptation it is difficult to…
The success of Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party has profoundly disrupted the tedious pendulum movement between Left and Right. EPA/Robert Perry

European movements could mark the end of ‘representative’ politics

With a steady hollowing out of membership, the cosying up to vested interests with pockets deep enough to maintain party, today’s political parties barely “represent”.
Syriza leader Alexis Tsipras and Pablo Iglesias of Podemos have taken their populist parties to victory in Greece and a lead in the polls in Spain. Flickr/Fanis Xouryas

Populism and democracy: friend or foe? Rising stars deepen dilemma

The rise of left-wing populism challenges those who flatly denounced right-wing populism as undemocratic. Populism can appear as a democratic force in some contexts and anti-democratic in others.
Like Italian politician Silvio Berlusconi (right), PUP leader Clive Palmer heads up what can be termed a ‘personal’ party. AAP/EPA/Alan Porritt/Angelo Carconi

Why Clive Palmer’s personal party is doomed to end in tears

While Silvio Berlusconi has shown himself to be adept at transferring business organisational and marketing skills to politics, Clive Palmer has appeared completely out of his depth in this sense.
What has it done for you lately? Well, quite a lot actually. EPA

In defence of the European Convention on Human Rights

It is bitterly ironic that in this, the 800th anniversary year of Magna Carta, there are threats from the UK to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights. This convention is Europe’s own Magna…
EPA/Orestis Panagiotou

Greece: many questions, few answers

There is something rather appropriate about Greece being at the centre of the European Union’s growing political and economic crises. Greece, after all, is the historical home of democracy and foundation…

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