New Patterns of Political Competition in Western Europe: Populists vs. Populists

Join us on Wednesday 24th of February at 16:30 for a seminar exploring the increasingly significant and prominent phenomenon of intra-populist party competition in Western European Polities.

Drawing upon research presented in the recently published Populism and New Patterns of Political Competition in Western Europe, co-edited by Dr. Daniele Albertazzi (University of Birmingham) and Dr. Davide Vampa (Aston University) or undertaken through the Populism in Action Project (led by Dr. Daniele Albertazzi at the University of Birmingham and Dr. Stijn van Kessel at Queen Mary, University of London), the discussion will include the following participants:

• Donatella Bonansinga (University of Birmingham)
• Dr. Emmanouil Tsatsanis (Loughborough University)
• Dr. Judith Sijstermans (University of Birmingham)
• Dr. Davide Vampa (Aston University)

It will be chaired by Dr. Daniele Albertazzi (University of Birmingham).

The seminar will explore how and to what effect populist parties of both the left and the right, compete within the same political system. It will utilise and present the overall typology of populist party competition used in “Populism and New Patterns of Political Competition in Western Europe” and focus on the Greek, Flemish and British cases.

Speaker Bios

Donatella Bonansinga is a PhD candidate at the University of Birmingham conducting research on the populism-insecurity nexus. She is the author of several publications on populism, party competition, emotions and securitisation.

Judith Sijstermans is a Research Fellow on the ESRC funded project 'The survival of the mass party: Evaluating activism and participation among populist radical right parties (PRRPs) in Europe,' (Project Reference: ES/R011540/1) based at the University of Birmingham. She is responsible for the Flemish case on the project, and focuses on the Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest). She received her PhD in Politics from the University of Edinburgh, where she researched transnational party politics and sub-state nationalist political parties in Western Europe. 

Emmanouil Tsatsanis is a Researcher at the National Centre for Social Research, Greece (EKKE) and at the Hellenic Foundation for European & Foreign Policy (ELIAMEP). He has conducted research and has written extensively on various topics related to electoral behaviour, party systems, political representation and political identities, usually with a focus on Southern European countries.

Davide Vampa is a Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Aston University. His research focuses on multi-level party politics and public policy and especially the politics of welfare in countries, such as Italy, Spain and the UK, that have witnessed the gradual strengthening of regions and devolved administrations as arenas of social policy making. He is Co-editor with Daniele Albertazzi of Populism and New Patterns of Political Competition in Western Europe.   

Daniele Albertazzi is a Reader in Politics at the University of Birmingham. His research focuses on populism and the radical right in comparative perspective and party organisation. He is Principal Investigator on the ESRC funded project 'The survival of the mass party: Evaluating activism and participation among populist radical right parties (PRRPs) in Europe' (Project Reference: ES/R011540/1). With Davide Vampa, he is Co-editor of Populism and New Patterns of Political Competition in Western Europe.

*Please note that the presentations from this session will be recorded*