Metropolitics

Preparing for a protest vote?

Rémi Lefebvre & translated by Oliver Waine — 2014-06-18T04:55:00Z

Between 2008 and 2014, the French Socialist Party was, more than ever before, a party of “local politicians”. Here, Rémi Lefebvre describes how, in the face of a protest vote, the party has sought to reduce the recent municipal elections to their “local” dimension alone, thus contributing to a further depoliticisation of the issues at stake, and indeed of the significance of these elections.
---- Series: Local elections as seen by the social sciences Note: the French version of this text was

- Debates / local democracy, municipal, vote, elections, abstention, Parti socialiste, Socialist Party

The misunderstandings of European democracy

Philippe Aldrin & translated by Oliver Waine — 2014-05-28T04:50:00Z

Though an economic giant, the European Union still appears to be something of a political dwarf. Yet a political Europe does exist, but the unusual forms that this transnational power takes seem to prevent a clear understanding of its true nature. Under the guise of technocratic governance free from political wrangling, three non-representative institutions impose their agenda upon the people and national governments of Europe. This is the conclusion drawn by political scientist Antoine Vauchez,

- Reviews / Europe, governance, democracy, elections, abstention, citizens

Participatory democracy in France: subsumed by local politics

Rémi Lefebvre & translated by Oliver Waine — 2013-01-09T15:06:59Z

In spite of the development of new forms of participatory democracy, turnout at local elections in France has never been lower. Far from rejuvenating “local democracy”, the experiences of participation tend instead to reinforce local powers that are increasingly distanced from electors.
Participatory democracy has in recent years become a standard part of local public action. Local councillors consider it is essential to involve citizens in decisions regularly – and not just at election time

- Essays / participation, local councillors, local democracy, abstention, participatory democracy