The party's over
Displaying 1 - 10 of 15 articles
Those of us who study politics are fortunate, but also unfortunate, to work in an academic field whose terms are widely used and abused in public debate. “Populist”, which I’ve written about here, is one…
Politicians will do anything to get into power. They’ll promise the earth and make deals with whoever they need to if it means they can govern. This is the kind of line you hear the world over. While it…
Whatever the result on September 18, Scotland’s independence referendum will produce what supporters of direct democracy are likely to hail as a victory. Around 97% of the population have registered to…
One month to go until the 2014 European Parliament (EP) elections. The candidates have been chosen, the posters printed and the media interpretation of the results (probably) decided. “A wake-up call for…
Three weeks can be an awfully long time in politics. Last Thursday, Matteo Renzi, the new leader of Italy’s Democratic Party (PD) – the largest member of the country’s ruling coalition – announced that…
Apart from a sensational winning goal, the main memory I have of the 1992 European Cup Final between Barcelona and Sampdoria is a moment in the second half when the camera panned to the man in the crowd…
For those who don’t know it, Godwin’s law says that the longer an online discussion continues, the greater the probability of someone making a comparison involving the Nazis or Hitler. Of course, how long…
I have a confession to make. In some ways, I admire Silvio Berlusconi. Sure, he has been disastrous for Italy’s economy and its democracy. But, as a political animal, he has qualities which I (grudgingly…
Sometimes, there’s just no escaping populism. Coming back from a conference on “Democracy and Populism” in Sofia last Sunday evening, I picked up a copy of The Economist. After three enjoyable but long…
Colpevole. Guilty. On a hot August Thursday evening in Rome, after two decades of investigations and trials - many of which he escaped due to laws passed by his own governments – Silvio Berlusconi was…