Where now for transnational parties?

Following its previous research on the field of politicization of the European Union and relevance of the transnational party system, FEPS with the support of Renner Institut held at the PES Convention a workshop solely devoted to the theme “Where now for the europarties?”

The event took place on within the thematic block “Active Democracy” on Saturday, 26th November 2011 from 15.30 till 17.00. The speakers were Dr. Steven van Hecke (University of Antwerp), Dr. Erol Kulachi (ULB), Dr. Simon Lightfoot (University of Leeds), Dr. Isabelle Hertner (University of Birmingham) and Sebastian Gröning von Thüna (SPD Düsseldorf). The debate was moderated by Pia Locatelli, President of Socialist International Women and one of the founding members of the PES.

The workshop was a great opportunity to bring the academic debate on the transnational party system into the specter of the think tank and party debates on the renewal of social democracy. The aim therefore was on one hand to explore what the state of research on the theme is, as also to identify the angles that could be interesting to study within the 2012. As such it will therefore pick on the threads already tackled by FEPS and Renner Institute in the course of its “Next Left” Research Programme, as also will mark the launch of the new working group within it – which we would hope to charge within next year to search for the answers on the future of Democratic Europe, commemorating with that work 20 years anniversary of the European Union and the PES.