Europe’s culture wars

Public debate as part of the Battle of Ideas 2018

The spectre haunting Europe is not communism but populism. While each country is, of course, quite different, the issues driving the changes seem to be surprisingly similar: a rejection of the EU and of mass immigration. What can we make of the changes taking place? No one can deny that the rise of the so-called populists has also opened up the debate. But is this debate going in the right direction? Are we experiencing a new backwardness or a democratic awakening?

Speakers:

- Professor Frank Furedi: sociologist and social commentator; author, How Fear Works: culture of fear in the 21st century and Populism and the European Culture Wars

- Professor Dr Michael Zürn: political scientist; director, Research Unit Global Governance, WZB (Berlin Social Science Center); professor, Freie Universiät Berlin; author, A Theory of Global Governance: authority, legitimacy and contestation