News

September 2024

Serious Starmer Leads a Roundhead Revival

Instead of categorising Keir Starmer as left or right, it is possible to understand him in an older British political divide, which goes back to the civil war of the 1640s: Roundheads versus Cavaliers.

In this new Financial Times article, Professor Stefan Collignon comments on this parallel, arguing that this divide remains visible on the UK’s political map today.

Read here.

Gold-plated Public Sector Pensions Cost Every Household £173,000

The value of pensions already guaranteed to workers in Britain has reached close to £5 trillion, projections suggest. This leaves every household with a bill of £173,000 to fulfil promises made during decades of generous final salary schemes. Professor Nick Barr, expert in public economics, told The Telegraph that public sector pensions should be monitored, like private schemes are, to make sure they’re affordable.

Read here.

Report: EU Facing Existential Risk Without Investment

A new report ordered by the European Commission warns that the EU faces an "existential challenge" unless it vastly increases investment and reforms its industrial policy. Speaking to the BBC, our Visiting Professor Lorenzo Codogno warned that gathering the necessary political support to implement the recommendations of the “provocative and bold” report would be “extremely challenging”.

Read here.

World Insights: British PM Recalibrates Ties with EU, Seeking More Consensus

Eight years after Brexit, Starmer's choice of Germany and France for his first visits signals a desire to reset strained relations with the EU. Professor Iain Begg told Xinhua that he sees this approach as the right choice for Britain, as the EU represents an important source of potential cooperation on critical issues.

How the Gaza War is Bringing Turkey and Egypt Together

Turkish President Erdogan used to describe his Egyptian counterpart el-Sissi as a "murderer" — but now uses "brother" instead. The recent rapprochement is in part driven by a shared perspective on the Israel-Hamas war. Our Visiting Fellow Dr Selin Nasi told Deutsche Welle how the outbreak of the war in Gaza made Egypt become increasingly important for Turkey.

Read here.

August 2024

What Does the Worst Rioting in 13 Years Say About U.K. Society and Politics?

Britain's newly-elected Starmer government is facing a major test as violent social unrest flares across the country. The administration has blamed disinformation and far-right influence for the U.K.'s worst rioting in 13 years.

In this CGTN broadcast, Professor Ian Begg discusses the potential underlying causes and consequences of the riots, noting: "It's not systematic political violence, it’s opportunistic. And that opportunism is a key part of the story."

Watch the full discussion here.

How Was Vladimir Putin Covered by State-controlled Media While the Regime Became Increasingly Centralized?

Drawing on transcripts from a popular television network and news source in Russia, JUSTINT Research Officer Lanabi La Lova has published new research which examines how a present-day autocrat attempts to optimize the intensity of state-controlled propaganda.

Read in Political Communication Journal.

Rachel Reeves Should Rethink the Fiscal Rules

During her first big speech as Chancellor, Rachel Reeves re-committed to following the fiscal rules during Labour’s time in government. Professor Iain Begg examines the shortcomings of the fiscal framework Reeves has inherited and argues that the UK should learn from its European counterparts when it comes to using public expenditure to advance the Government’s priorities.

Beyond the North-South Divide: Transnational Coalitions in EU Reforms

Prominent accounts assert that the Euro Area is deeply divided between North and South, with Central Eastern European member states being ignored. Can transnational coalitions in EU help bridge this divide?

Check out a new publication resulting from the Policy Crisis and Crisis Politics “SOLID” European Research Council Project, co-authored by Visiting Professor Waltraud Schelkle and Research Officer Dr Zbigniew Truchlewski on the stability of transnational coalitions in EU reforms and the North-South divide in the Euro Area.

Read the full article here.

UK-EU Ties to Dominate European Political Community Summit

With the topic of UK-EU relationship likely to dominate talks at the European Political Community Summit, Professor Iain Begg told Euronews this will be a good opportunity for “constructive engagement” between the two parties.

Read more here.

Will a Land Development Shake-Up Boost Labour’s Housebuilding Plans?

Visiting Senior Fellow Dr Thomas Aubrey has been quoted in a Financial Times article on Labour government’s attempt to drive down land prices and free up more money for affordable housing and infrastructure. His report on the Land Value Capture policy estimated that it could generate an extra £10.7bn a year to help fund infrastructure and affordable housing.

Read the full article here.

Efforts to Form a New French Government Drag On

As France’s MPs are expected to form a coalition government this week, what would be a likely scenario going forward? Visiting Fellow Dr Joseph Downing discusses the current deadlock surrounding the selection of a new French prime minister in a recent interview with France24.

Watch here.

Discursive Interaction and Agency in Transitional Justice: A Conversation Analysis Perspective

In a new article from the 'Justice Interactions' JUSTINT European Research Council Project, Dr. Denisa Kostovicova sets out how agency in transitional justice is facilitated or constrained at the micro level of communication in formal and informal settings based on patterns of interaction in the Croatian Parliament.

Read the full article here.

Six Messages to the New Government for How to Restore the UK

The new Labour government faces an enormous task of restoring the wounds to the UK economy and public services caused by Brexit and the austerity years, among other things. Professor Nicholas Barr offers six pieces of advice for how to make the job a little easier.

Read the full piece at the LSE British Politics and Policy Blog here.

How Labour can Fix our Broken Public Services

As part of a five-part LSE British Politics and Policy blog series, Dr Abby Innes and Gwyn Bevan have co-authored an article arguing that besides more funding, the way Labour can improve the country’s broken public services is by improving their governance.

Read more here.

How Markets are Ready to 'Do the Dirty Job' of Fighting Le Pen

In a new Telegraph article, Professor Iain Begg warns that markets will be rattled if Le Pen secures a majority in the ongoing French elections.

Read more here.

Grandstanding Instead of Deliberative Policy-Making: Transitional Justice, Publicness and Parliamentary Questions in the Croatian Parliament

Check out a new publication resulting from the 'Justice Interactions' JUSTINT European Research Council Project, co-authored by Dr. Denisa Kostovicova and Research Officer Lanabi La Lova on the publicness of transitional justice processes. The authors undertake a quantitative study of parliamentary questions to demonstrate how the public nature of post-conflict transitional justice undermines its normative goals.

Read the full article here.

On Labour's Empty Rhetoric of The Long Term

Professor Jonathan White has published an article for The New Statesman critiquing Labour Party’s empty rhetoric in the long term, in an era of emergency politics.

Read the full piece here.

France’s Hard-Right Wants to Cut the EU’s Budget – Brussels Should Be Worried

Jordan Bardella, the president of National Rally, wants to cut France’s contribution to the EU’s budget by nearly £2.5bn, to keep the money in Paris. However, achieving cuts to the EU budget contributions may prove easier said than done.

“They would face an immediate sanction from a case being put in the European Court of Justice, which would find France very rapidly in breach of its obligations,” Professor Iain Begg told The Telegraph.

Read the full piece here.

What Did the COVID-19 Pandemic Tell Us About Crisis Management?

The EU responded to the COVID-19 pandemic with an unprecedented set of measures, including its Next Generation EU recovery package. Dr Gianmarco Fifi, Nicholas Barr Fellow in European Political Economy, examines what the EU’s response can tell us about crisis management.

The Seesaw Relationship between Turkey and Israel

In her latest article, Visiting Fellow Dr Selin Nasi discusses Turkey’s policy shift towards Israel and explores the implications of its government’s pro-Hamas stance.

Read here.

Europe Must Fight the Far-Right Surge

After the far right’s gains in the European Parliament elections, mainstream parties can either sit idly by or tackle the problem head-on, as French President Emmanuel Macron seems to be doing. Calling the populists’ bluff offers the best chance of victory by showing how their radical policies could backfire, argues Visiting Senior Fellow Philippe Legrain in a new piece for Project Syndicate.

Can the French centre hold against Jordan Bardella and the National Rally?

Emmanuel Macron’s decision to call a snap legislative election in France has been viewed as a major political gamble. Can the French centre hold against Jordan Bardella and the National Rally?

Visiting Fellow Joseph Downing argues the election could represent the culmination of two decades of decline for French mainstream parties.

Read on EUROPP Blog.

Changes to the European Parliament

"Despite the expectations that the far-right would gain enormously, it really has not. The generally pro-European parties in the centre of the European Parliament have maintained 63% of the seats. They constitute, therefore, a working majority for getting most of the European Union's business that relies on the parliament happen."

Listen to Professor Iain Begg's full analysis of the recent changes, or lack thereof, within the European Parliament on TVP WORLD.

Professor Iain Begg Interviewed About Impact of EU Elections on Economic Policy

Professor Iain Begg has recently completed a series of interviews discussing the results of the European Parliament elections and their potential impact on economic policy in the EU. He argues that far-right gains are unlikely to disrupt EU policies significantly.

Watch on CGTN Europe and on TVP World here and here.

Reinforcing Each Other: How the Combination of European and Domestic Reforms Increased Competition in Liberalized Industries

There is a consensus over Europe’s transformation into a highly competitive economy through a series of ambitious pro-competition reforms. However, both the European Commission and national actors have legislative authority over competition policies.

In this new research, EI Phd student Tommaso Crescioli examines who the critical actors behind this legislative and economic transformation in this multi-level system are. Focusing on the liberalization of state-owned industries and using a staggered difference-in-differences approach, the paper shows that the effectiveness of European directives in decreasing firm-level market power increased with the extent of preceding domestic pro-competition reforms.

Read here.

The Two Sides of Giorgia Meloni Ahead of the European Parliament Elections

Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni’s Brothers of Italy are expected to significantly increase their share of seats in the 2024 European Parliament elections. Visiting Fellow Marina Cino Pagliarello argues that Meloni could soon face a choice between leading the opposition in the European Parliament or embracing her pragmatic side in the hope of securing a greater voice over key decisions.

What’s behind the rise of the far right in Europe?

Dr Marta Lorimer was recently invited to discuss the rise of Europe's far right and how it is influencing mainstream politics on Al Jazeera English together with Professor Cas Mudde (University of Georgia).

Watch now.

How Voters’ Preferences and Policy Priorities Have Shifted Ahead of the European Elections

The five years since the last European Parliament elections have seen multiple crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the related energy crisis.

Visiting Professor in Practice Lorenzo Codogno and Mara Monti write that these shocks have prompted changes in the policy priorities of both the EU’s institutions and its citizens. However, while a shift to the right in the European Parliament may not threaten the integration process as in the past, it could still undermine the balance needed to face future challenges.

Read here.

The External Dimension of Italian Migration Policy in the Wider Mediterranean

Visiting Fellow Dr Matilde Rosina has co-authored a new article providing the first systematic and comprehensive analysis of the external dimension of Italy’s migration policy (EXMIPO) in the Mediterranean over the past 30 years.

Building on an original dataset spanning over 30 years and 125 instruments, we investigate how and to what extent Italy cooperated with countries of origin and transit in the management of migration flows.

Explainer: Fiscal Frameworks

In this new piece, Professor Iain Begg and European Institute MSc student Daniel Cicak explain what fiscal frameworks are and why they are important, using the UK and Germany to illustrate distinctive approaches.

Read here.

The EU’s Finances: Time for Genuine Change?

The European Commission will soon start the protracted process leading towards its next Multi-annual Financial Framework (MFF) settlement. In a new piece for Encompass Europe, Professor Iain Begg asks: "Can the EU break out of the status quo trap that has bedevilled previous deals since 1988?"

Read Professor Begg's four propositions for change here.

To Report or Not to Report on Research Ethics in Political Science and International Relations: A New Dimension of Gender-Based Inequality

In a new article Dr Denisa Kostovicova and Dr Ellie Knott (LSE Methodology) find that women drive research ethics reporting in political science and IR, shape knowledge of research ethics and do so differently than men.

How Ideas of the Future Can Help Us Find Time for Democracy

In his new book, Professor Jonathan White explores how ideas of the future are integral to politics and democracy. We need to retain our commitment to longer-term thinking to counter the sense that time is running out, he argues.

The EU’s Future Prosperity: What Role for the Fiscal Framework?

Public investment in Europe has been low in recent years, resulting in shortcomings in infrastructure and other public assets capable of underpinning economic growth and competitiveness. Could better fiscal frameworks be part of the solution to shortcomings in European competitiveness?

Discover a new article discussing the EU's future prosperity by Professor Iain Begg and European Institute MSc student Daniel Cicak.

Read here.

Digitalizationa and Democracy in the West Balkans

Check out a new publication resulting from the 'Justice Interactions' JUSTINT European Research Council project by Dr Sanja Vico on the role of social media in enabling dialogues about war crimes legacy, including policy recommendations.

This publication by the Aspen Institute Germany provides an overview of the recommendations developed at their Podgorica conference as well as the input papers that guided the discussions. This includes a paper by Dr Vico entitled 'Polarization and Dialogue on Social Media'.

Access the publication here.

Croatia: The 2024 European Parliament Elections – The First Test for a New Government

The European Parliament election in Croatia will be held just two months after the country’s parliamentary election in April. Visiting Fellow Ivor Sokolić writes that much of the debate from the parliamentary election is likely to continue during the European vote.

Read on the EUROPP Blog.

Dr Denisa Kostovicova Awarded Honorable Mention for Best Book Rothschild Prize

Join us in congratulating Dr Denisa Kostovicova for receiving an Honourable Mention for the prestigious Best Book Joseph Rothschild Prize in Nationalism and Ethnic Studies for her book Reconciliation by Stealth: How People Talk About War Crimes.

This prize is awarded annually by the Association for the Study of Nationalities for an outstanding book published in the previous calendar year on Russia, Eastern Europe or Eurasia, in which substantial attention is paid to questions of ethnicity and/or nationalism.

Buy the book.

Rise of the Far Right: Is EU Stability at Risk?

The past few years have seen the normalisation of far-right parties across Europe. Mark Owen spoke to Dr Marta Lorimer, Fellow in European Politics at the European Institute, who argues that the far-right is here to stay and that mainstream politicians must address the root cause of the rise of the far right, rather than adopt its ideology.

Watch the full interview on France 24.

Turkish Central Bank Raises Inflation Forecast

Dr Orkun Saka has recently been interviewed by Central Banking about the political pressures on Turkish central bank.

“There is definitely indirect, implicit political pressure,” Dr Saka says, given the “many negative spillovers of raising interest rates in the short-term”.

Read the full article here.

Europe as Ideological Resource: European Integration and Far-Right Legitimation in France & Italy

We are pleased to share a discussion hosted by Professor Jonathan White which dives into Dr Marta Lorimer's new book: "Europe as Ideological Resource: European Integration and Far-Right Legitimation in France & Italy."

Joining us for this fascinating exchange are also Professor Sofia Vasilopoulou (King's College London) and Dr Stijn van Kessel (Queen Mary University of London).

Watch or listen to the podcast.

European Elections, National Repercussions: Analysing the 2024 European Parliament Elections in Italy

Dr Marta Lorimer will be joining a roundtable discussion about the European Parliament elections in Italy hosted by the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute.

When: Mon 20 May (6:00-7:00PM CEST)
Where: Online

How Much Should We Spend On the NHS?

"When inflation is higher, the NHS budget needs to rise accordingly. In recent years, even that low hurdle has not been met."

There is an apparent paradox when it comes to NHS funding: the government is spending a record amount of money on it, and yet it is underfunded. Professor Nicholas Barr explains why NHS costs are rising faster than inflation and outlines what would have to change for the NHS to be fully funded.

Read on the LSE British Politics and Policy Blog.

Did the Euro Reduce Market Power?

Academics have argued that changes in product markup trends show that the European markets, abetted by the adoption of the Single Market and stronger antitrust enforcement, have become more competitive over the last half-century, whereas American markets have become more concentrated.

Assistant Professor in European and International Political Economy Dr Angelo Martelli and PhD candidate Tommaso Crescioli have published new research which argues that a study of labor market power in Europe muddles the picture of higher competition in Europe.

France: The 2024 European Parliament Elections – A Pre-Presidential Election?

Marine Le Pen’s Rassemblement National is predicted to be the big winner from France’s European Parliament election. Dr Marta Lorimer writes that while many will be tempted to interpret the outcome as a sign that Le Pen could win the 2027 presidential election, it would be ill-advised to read too much into the results.

Post-Brexit Border Fees Could Drive Up UK Food Inflation

As post-Brexit border checks for plants and animal products imported from the EU come into effect, Mark Owen talks to Professor Iain Begg about the impact on food inflation. They also discuss post-Brexit migration policy as Irish Taoiseach Simon Harris says Ireland will not “provide a loophole for anybody else’s migration challenges”.

Watch here.

Dr Matilde Rosina's Article Becomes The Most-Read Piece in Policy Studies

Join us in congratulating Visiting Fellow Dr Matilde Rosina, whose article titled, "Migration and Soft Power: The EU’s Visa and Refugee Policy Response to the War in Ukraine," has become the most-read piece in Policy Studies this past year!

Read the full article.

Democracy Has Run Out of Future

Professor Jonathan White's new book, In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea, has been reviewed in Foreign Policy.

Read the book review.

Varieties of Ideology. Reassessing Europe’s Open Society and Its Enemies in the Euro Area

A new paper has been published under the EI's EIQ discussion paper series authored by Stefan Collignon and Davide Orsitto.

"The coherence of ideological narratives in the Euro Area is a necessary condition for the sustainability of the monetary union. Narratives shape political preferences and if they diverge persistently, cooperation between member states becomes impossible. We measure the evolution of ideological narratives in member states of the Euro Area over half a century in a two-dimensional space."

Read the full paper.

UK Labour Party May Hit Bank Deposits at BOE, UBS Analysts Say

Professor Paul De Grauwe has been quoted in Bloomberg UK discussing the implications a Labour government would have on the amount commercial banks earn on deposits held at the Bank of England.

Explaining gendered political participation after victimisation in post-war Kosovo

Join our next Europe@LSE Seminar featuring Dr Elodie Douarin, Associate Professor at the School of Slavonic and East European Studies at UCL, and chaired Dr Denisa Kostovicova from the LSE European Institute.

While most of the research to date has failed to investigate gendered differences, where they have been investigated, researchers have evidenced stark differences in the relationship between victimisation and political participation between genders, revealing gaps in our understanding of the mechanisms linking the two, as post-traumatic growth does not imply gendered outcomes.

When: Tues 30 April, 12.45 - 2.00pm
Where: CBG.1.07, LSE Campus and ONLINE

Learn more.

Greece’s Prime Minister Wants His Nation to be the Comeback Story of the Decade

Professor Kevin Featherstone has been quoted in a TIME profile on the Greek Prime Minister's plans for making "his nation [...] the comeback story of the decade".

Read here.

Special Issue: Higher Education During Times of Crisis in Türkiye

How is Higher Education in Türkiye responding to the country's recent and ongoing crises?

It's a topic the LSE Higher Education Blog is exploring all this week in a special issue with Contemporary Turkish Studies and the LSE European Institute.

Read here.

The Effects of Wars: Lessons from the War in Ukraine

Dr Matilde Rosina has co-authored a new article in a special issue published in Policy Studies which proposes a heuristic framework to map the effects of war in Ukraine terms of ripple and backwash across a range of interconnected layers of societies. Through this framework, the article then introduces a set of empirically rich and theoretically informed studies from across multiple disciplines which examine the first consequences of the war in Ukraine.

How has the far right gained power across Europe – and did European integration have anything to do with it?

Dr. Marta Lorimer will be presenting her new book, Europe as An Ideological Resource: European Integration and Far Right Legitimation in France and Italy, at the upcoming LSE Research Showcase this month.

When: Tues 30 April, 11 - 11.30am
Where: Shaw Library, LSE Campus

Dr Gianmarco Fifi Receives a MSCActions Global Fellowship

Join us in congratulating Dr Gianmarco Fifi, the Nicholas Barr Fellow in European Political Economy at the LSE European Institute, for receiving a Marie Skłodowska Curie Actions Global Fellowship for his project on the Left and European integration through crises at UC Berkeley and the European University Institute.

WhatsApp Government: On Technology, Legitimacy,and the Performance of Roles

Mobile instant messaging is widely used in governing circles today. In his latest article, Professor Jonathan White considers the implications for political le-gitimacy, examining how far the technology encourages those in authority to act consistently with the obligations that comewith their roles. It looks at several recent political scandals in which officeholders are alleged to have transgressed public normswith their use of instant messaging.

Read here.

Mayoral Shutdown of the National Conservatism Conference in Brussels

Professor Iain Begg commented on the mayoral shut down of the National Conservatism Conference in Brussels on LBC News.

Listen here.

The End of Peacekeeping

Dr Denisa Kostovicova will be joining a panel discussion hosted by the Department of Gender Studies and the LSE Atlantic Fellows for Social and Economic Equity (AFSEE) about Professor Marsha Henry's new book, The End of Peacekeeping.

Unlocking Better Regulation in Europe

Has the quality of EU regulation worsened in recent years and why?

Visiting Professor in Practice Anthony Teasdale was interviewed on the Centre for European Reform podcast to evaluate von der Leyen's term as Commission President.

Listen here.

Most Countries Do Not Take a Fair Share of Refugees – Here’s How We Could Incentivise Them

The refugee convention outlines what states must do to offer protection and support and to whom. It does not, however, have any mechanisms to make sure responsibility is equally shared between states. In her latest piece, Visiting Fellow Dr Matilde Rosina proposes different ways to incentivise states to take more responsibility, without a legally binding system.

Read here.

Italy’s Economic Miracle is Not What It Seems

Is Italy experiencing a new economic miracle? Visiting Professor in Practice Lorenzo Codogno has written a new commentary piece for OMFIF, an independent think tank for central banking, economic policy and public investment.

When manipulated, Codogno argues, numbers can say anything you want them to. But there are limits. And if we leave the demagoguery aside, the figures still do not seem to offer much hope for Italy’s long-term economic prospects.

Dilemmas and Challenges Around the EU Budget

The EU budget needs extensive reform both to resolve longstanding shortcomings and in anticipation of a further enlargement of the Union, argues Professor Iain Begg in a new insight piece for the Centre for European Reform.

Read here.

Book Review: Criminalisation Does Not Deter Irregular Migration: Evidence from Italy and France

Phd Candidate Daniela Roxana Movileanu has reviewed Visiting Fellow Dr Matilde Rosina's book, The Criminalisation of Irregular Migration in Europe: Globalisation, Deterrence, and Vicious Cycles.

"The strongest assets of the book are its interdisciplinary approach and its rich analysis of the effects of criminalisation laws, which have so far eluded rigorous scholarly scrutiny," writes Daniela.

Read her full review here.

Jonathan White on the Politics of the Future and What It Means For Democracies

Professor Jonathan White was invited to speak on The UK in a Changing Europe Podcast with Professor Sarah Hall about his new book, In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea, the relationship between technology and democracy, his thoughts on direct democracy and much more.

Listen here.

What Have Fourteen Years of Conservative Rule Done to Britain?

Dr Abby Innes' new book, Late Soviet Britain: Why Materialist Utopias Fail, has been featured in a new article by The New Yorker discussing the last fourteen years of Conservative rule in Britain.

Read here.

Performance Framework for the EU Budget - Concepts and Practices

Professor Iain Begg has co-authored a new study requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets (BUDG) on performance-based budgeting, an integral element EU spending governance.

This study looks at the principles behind this approach and explores how it is being implemented in Cohesion Policy and the Recovery and Resilience Facility. The analysis reveals marked differences between how performancebased budgeting functions in these two frameworks and sheds light on both benefits and drawbacks in their implementation.

Read here.

Shaping and Sharing Knowledge to Tackle Global Challenges: Universities as ‘Informal’ Diplomatic Actors?

Join us in congratulating Dr Marina Cino Pagliarello who will be joining the Loughborough University Institute of Advanced Studies (IAS) as Visiting Fellow in May 2024 to continue her research on informal dipomacy.

Dr Pagliarello will deliver a hybrid seminar on their research, fully titled "Shaping and sharing knowledge to tackle global challenges: universities as ‘informal’ diplomatic actors?," on 14 May 2024 from 2:00-3:00pm.

Mais, Maybes and May Nots – Rachel Reeves and the UK’s Fiscal Rules

In a new blog article for UK In A Changing Europe, Professor Iain Begg has analysed Rachel Reeves' Mais lecture and her proposals on fiscal rules.

"The worry must be that by accepting the current debt rule, with its manifest flaws, Reeves will miss the opportunity to bring in a better fiscal framework," Professor Begg writes.

Social Media, Stereotypes, and the Acknowledgement of War Crimes

Dr Sanja Vico, a Research Associate at LSEE, has published a new JUSTINT academic paper which explores how people discuss war legacies to understand the role of social media in promoting justice and peace.

Read here.

In Conversation With Dr. Marta Lorimer About Her New Book

How did far-right parties go from the margins to the mainstream and did Europe have anything to do with it?

We sat down with Dr. Marta Lorimer, Fellow in European Politics at the LSE European Institute, to discuss her new book coming out on March 28, “Europe as Ideological Resource: European Integration and Far-Right Legitimation in France & Italy”.

Coming out 28 March 2024.

Watch the video. | Pre-order here.

Student Protests Go On as Greece Passes Private Universities Law

Professor Kevin Featherstone, Professorial Research Fellow at the LSE European Institute and Director of the Hellenic Observatory, has been quoted in a Times Higher Education article discussing the latest student protests in Greece against the new private universities law.

The War in Ukraine and the Geopolitics of Migration

In the aftermath of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the EU gave temporary protection rights to Ukrainians fleeing the conflict and suspended a visa facilitation agreement with Russia.

Visiting Fellow Dr Matilde Rosina writes the response to the conflict illustrates the importance of migration policies for the EU’s soft power.

Read on EUROPP.

Macron’s Flawed Plan to Protect France From Le Pen and the Far Right

Marine Le Pen is leading Macron in the polls for June’s European elections. Will the far-right leader translate that support into winning the presidency in 2027?

Critics argue that Macron has helped legitimize the party and normalize its leader. “He said that he was going to be the anti-Le Pen candidate,” says Dr Marta Lorimer who researches the far right. “All he has done is essentially suggest that Le Pen is the only possible alternative to him, which is a terrible message to be sending.”

“Un-sustainable” Development Goals as a New Dimension of the European Monetary Union Core-Periphery Dualism

A new paper has been published under the EI's EIQ discussion paper series authored by Roberta De Santis, Lorenzo Di Biagio and Piero Esposito.

"While the persistent core-periphery dualism within the European Monetary Union (EMU) has been extensively studied, its relationship to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) remains unexplored. [...] Our findings shed light on the interaction between the SDGs and the EMU's internal cohesion, offering preliminary interesting policy insights."

Read the full paper.

EU Far-Right 'Rising Steadily' For Decades As Centrists Embrace Their Policies, 'Give Them Traction'

Dr Marta Lorimer was invited to discuss the surprising rise of the new far-right Chega party in Portugal on FRANCE 24.

"The causes for its success are multiple, but a lot of it had to do with corruption scandals that touched the other political parties, and with the leader who is a fairly respectable former centre-right politician, who's quite well-known across the country," Dr. Lorimer commented.

Watch here.

Upcoming LSE World Café Featuring Dr Marta Lorimer

Our Fellow in European Politics Dr Marta Lorimer will be speaking at LSE's next World Café on ‘What’s the future for democracy?’ alongside fellow experts from the LSE Department of Media and Communications, LSE Department of Anthropology and the LSE Electoral Psychology Observatory. ️

In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea – Review

Professor Jonathan White's new book, In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea, has been reviewed by Dr Aveek Bhattacharya on LSE Review of Books.

Read here.

How judges make decisions on difficult asylum cases

When judges assess difficult asylum cases, what guides their decision-making?

Drawing on a new study, our LSE Fellow Dr Katerina Glyniadaki shows how judges can experience a conflict between their role and their personal identity when dealing with “grey area” asylum cases.

Read on EUROPP.

Professor Jonathan White On His New Book "In The Long Run"

Ideas of the future were central to the making of the modern world and are reshaping today’s societies in an age of emergencies and existential concern.

We spoke to our EI Deputy Head and Professor in Politics Professor Jonathan White about his new book, In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea.

Join us on Monday 11 March 2024, for a book launch duo at the LSE European Institute, which brings together social and political theorists to explore what the future means today, how we got here, and what’s at stake.

Watch the video. | Register for our event.

Has the UK Saved 191 billion Pounds By Not Participating in the EU Covid Recovery Fund?

Professor Iain Begg was invited on BBC Radio 4 to respond to Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg's claim that the UK has saved 191 billion pounds "by not being part of the EU's covid recovery scheme".

Find out here.

Four Questions About the West’s Future Support for Ukraine

As the second anniversary of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine approaches, the West appears divided over how to support Ukraine.

In his latest article for the EUROPP Blog, Associate Professor Dr Spyros Economides assesses four key questions underpinning the role of the West in the war, arguing that for future support to be effective, western leaders must found their actions on pragmatic concerns rather than moralism.

The Discipline of Hope: Abolishing the Prison of Immobility in Post-Deportation Narratives

Dr Niina Vuolajärvi has published a new article in The Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (JEMS) examining the role of hope in the stories of people with experiences of deportation collected during a photojournalistic research project following deportees from Europe.

Drawing on the political philosophy of hope, specifically Ernst Bloch, this article explores the complex and ambiguous presence of hope and despair in the stories of deportees.

Europe Must Rearm Now

The growing likelihood of an unhinged Donald Trump returning to power and acting on his threats to withdraw the United States from NATO should serve as a wake-up call for Europe, writes Visiting Senior Fellow Philippe Legrain in Project Syndicate. Instead of hoping for the best, European countries must boost their military spending and establish a robust defense union.

"Is Democracy Future-Proof?" New Podcast with Jonathan White and David Runciman

2024 is set to be the biggest election year in history but what happens to politics when it’s always about the next election? We lose our sense of perspective, says Professor Jonathan White — and to our peril. The erosion of medium to long-term political thinking and the decaying of our political attention span has not only warped our political priorities, but has, he argues, endangered a pivotal idea central to democracy: the future.

In conversation with host of the Past, Present, Future podcast, David Runciman, Professor White draws from his recent book, In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea, to make the case for looking further ahead than your next 'x' at the polling station.

Listen here.

Brexit-Like Rhetoric On Immigration No Longer Works

Visiting Fellow Dr Matilde Rosina has co-authored a new article with Dr Cristina Juverdeanu which has been published on the LSE British Politics and Policy Blog.

The article examines the current Government's rhetoric on curbing immigration, which has strong echoes of the Brexit campaign. As they point out, the same themes, keywords, and even graphics are being used by the Government that were originally used by Brexit campaigners. The only difference is, this time the campaign doesn’t seem to be working.

A Two-Tier System of Reserve Requirements to Fight Inflation More Fairly and Effectively: Answers to Our Critics

Professor Paul De Grauwe has co-authored a new article with Professor Yuemei Ji (UCL) for VOX EU which responds to criticisms from observers of the proposal to introduce a two-tier system of minimum reserve requirements in order to reduce the size of transfers to banks.

Read here.

Can the UK Learn From the New EU Approach to Fiscal Governance?

Professor Iain Begg has published a new blog which discusses the new approach to fiscal rules and obligations for member states that EU finance ministers have agreed on and whether there are lessons for the UK.

Read here.

Deciding On Asylum Dilemmas: A Conflict Between Role And Person Identities For Asylum Judges

Fellow in International Migration Dr Katerina Glyniadaki has published a new article in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies (JEMS) examining how asylum judges in Germany and Greece make decisions under conditions of high uncertainty.

Drawing on original interview data with lay and administrative judges from the respective capitals, the study focuses on ‘grey area’ asylum cases and sheds light on the decision-making mechanisms used by judges.

Read here.

The Tools of External Migration Policy in the EU Member States: The Case of Italy

Visiting Fellow Dr Matilde Rosina has co-authored a new article with Iole Fonatana which has been published in the Journal of Common Market Studies (JCMS).

The article explores the external dimension of migration policy in the EU member states, through a policy tool approach. It offers a new analytical framework for conceptualising member states' EXMIPO, and builds on an original dataset spanning over 30 years. Through the case of Italy, the article demonstrates that member states have developed an intense external action at the bilateral level in the field of migration, which has expanded quantitatively and qualitatively, alongside (and despite) EU initiatives.

Read here.

How Can Public Policies Facilitate Local Cooperation? Insights From the EU’s Wine Policy

Dr. Kira Gartzou-Katsouyanni, a PhD graduate of the European Institute, has published a new journal article which develops an account of Facilitative Overarching Institutional Frameworks (FOIFs) as macro-level institutions that abate the obstacles to local cooperation. Through qualitative evidence collected via fieldwork, it is shown that the EU’s wine policy is a good example of a FOIF, and that it has crucially contributed to the puzzling emergence of demanding forms of local cooperation in the Greek wine sector.

Professor Simon Glendinning Reviews Alan Montefiore's Book

The book review of Alan Montefiore's book, Philosophy and the Human Paradox: Essays on Reason, Truth and Identity, by Head of the European Institute Professor Simon Glendinning has been published in the journal MIND: A Quarterly Review of Philosophy.

Read here.

In The Long Run — Jonathan White On How Democracies Are Losing Faith In The Future

Professor Jonathan White's new book, In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea, has been reviewed on The Financial Times' list of "The best books of the week".

Read the book review.

In Conversation With Dr. Abby Innes About Her New Book

Why has the United Kingdom, historically one of the strongest democracies in the world, become so unstable?

We sat down with Dr. Abby Innes, Associate Professor of Political Economy at the European Institute, to discuss her new book, Late Soviet Britain: Why Materialist Utopias Fail.

Want to hear more? Join us on Thursday at our public event to launch Dr Abby Innes’s book! Dr Innes will be joined by Rafael Behr, journalist and political columnist at The Guardian, for a discussion chaired by Head of the European Institute Professor Simon Glendinning.

Watch the video. | Register for our event.

Call For Papers - 5th LSE Workshop On 'Political Economy of Turkey'

Submission deadline: Friday 1 March 2024
Full papers required for submission
Email your submission to: o.saka@lse.ac.uk

The workshop will take place on Friday 7 June and will feature a number of selected presentations/discussions and will culminate in a public keynote lecture. The event will provide a platform for researchers and policymakers to discuss new research and to identify areas where further academic policy-oriented work is needed.

Hosted by Contemporary Turkish Studies, the LSE European Institute and the LSE School of Public Policy

Find out more

Technocratic Myopia: On The Pitfalls Of Depoliticising The Future

Professor Jonathan White has published a new article in the European Journal of Social Theory, in which he makes the case for the "technocratic myopia thesis" – the possibility that technocratic institutions have their own distinctive drivers of short-termism - and discusses the implications for how contemporary societies govern the future in key domains of public policy.

Dr. Marta Lorimer To Present New Book at The 'Future of Ideologies' Webinar Series

Dr Marta Lorimer will be presenting her new book, Europe as Ideological Resource, in the 'Future of Ideologies' webinar series at the University of Nottingham's Centre for Ideas and Ideologies on Wednesday, 31 January from 5 - 6:30pm (UK local time).

Q&A With Jonathan White On "In The Long Run: The Future As A Political Idea"

LSE Review of Books spoke to Professor Jonathan White about his new book, In the Long Run: The Future as a Political Idea, which investigates how changing political conceptions of the future have impacted societies from the birth of democracy to the present.

On Tuesday 30 January 2024 LSE staff, students, alumni and prospective students can also attend a research showcase where Jonathan White will discuss the book.

Read the Q&A.

Late Soviet Britain: How British Politics Is Mirroring the Failings of Soviet Socialism

The latest issue of LSE's Research for the World is out featuring an article by European Institute Associate Professor of Political Economy Dr Abby Innes discussing her new book, Late Soviet Britain: Why Materialist Utopias Fail.

British politics today, and particularly Conservative politics, is repeating the mistakes of Soviet socialism, despite appearing its ideological opposite, argues Dr. Abby Innes.

Read here.

Why Europe Should Back the UNDP’s “Türkiye Compact” for Refugees

The United Nations Development Programme has proposed a “Türkiye Compact” that would see Turkey receive trade facilitation if it agrees to provide better formal employment opportunities for refugees living in the country. PhD candidate Friedrich Püttmann and Kemal Kirişci argue the plan would have key advantages for both Turkey and Europe.

Read here.

Europe as Ideological Resource: European Integration and Far Right Legitimation in France & Italy

Dr Marta Lorimer's new book, Europe as Ideological Resource: European Integration and Far Right Legitimation in France and Italy, will be released on March 31, 2024.

How did the far right go from illegitimate fringe to contender for public office, and did Europe have anything to do with it? In this upcoming publication, our Fellow in European Politics argues that European integration functioned as an ideological resource for far right parties looking for legitimation because it enabled them to refashion their political message in a more acceptable form, while maintaining the allegiance of their existing supporters.

Preorder now.

An Interview With Professor Simon Glendinning

Professor Simon Glendinning has been interviewed by the Philosophical Rambler about his life in academia. From his motivations to study philosophy, to his insights from the discipline into the study of Europe, to his thoughts on the future of the continent, get to know the Head of the European Institute!

Read here.

Dr Spyros Economides Appointed As Visiting Scholar at Harvard University

Dr Spyros Economides has been appointed as a Visiting Scholar at Minda de Gunzburg Center for European Studies (CES) at Harvard University from 1 March to 1 June 2024. He will be working on a project which is currently entitled ‘Geopolitics, Values and the Re-emergence of “the West”’, which looks at the persistence of the ‘the West’ in international relations and its use in both contemporary academic literature and public commentary.

Dancing with the devil? Emmanuel Macron, Marine Le Pen and the articulation of a new political divide in France

Dr Marta Lorimer has co-authored a new article with Dr Lise Herman (University of Exeter) investigating how political challengers articulate new political divides in European political party systems and with what implications for representative democracy. Looking at the case of France, they identify the strategies that Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron have used to construct a new divide beyond left and right.

Read here.

Op-Ed: Time for a New Ambition for the Greek University System

Professor Kevin Featherstone, Director of the Hellenic Observatory at the European Institute, has published a new opinion piece arguing that "Greece has long been constrained by its university system [which] has constituted a structural weakness of the economy."

Read here.

Optimal Public Deficit and Tax-smoothing in the Spanish Economy, 1850-2022

A new paper has been published under the EI's EIQ discussion paper series authored by Emilio Congregado, Vicente Esteve and Maria A. Prats.

"The paper provides a formal test of Barro's tax-smoothing model, using Spanish data covering the period 1850–2022. The Spanish case proves to be of special interest given the permanent difficulties experienced when balancing the government budget over time."

Read the full paper.

Professor Vassilis Monastririotis Appointed to NCRTI

Professor Vassilis Monastririotis has been appointed to the Scientific Council for Social Sciences of the Greek National Council for Research, Technology and Innovation (NCRTI).

Learn more.

A Century of Labour

The Labour Party first took office on 22nd January 1924. In the century that followed it has only had six prime ministers and been in power for a total of 33 years.

With an election due this year, all political parties will be preparing their manifestos and presenting their vision of the future. Professor Jonathan White was invited to speak on BBC Radio 4 alongside political scientist Jane Green and Labour MP Jon Cruddas. While the democratic electoral cycle foregrounds short term policies, White argues it’s time for politicians to consider long-term solutions.

Listen here.

n the Long Run: The Future As A Political Idea

Professor Jonathan White's new book, In the Long Run: The Future As A Political Idea, will be released on February 1, 2024.

In this upcoming publication, the Deputy Head of the European Institute investigates how politics has long been directed by shifting visions of the future, from the birth of ideologies in the 19th century to Cold War secrecy and the excesses of the neoliberal age. White argues that a political commitment to the long-term may be the best way to safeguard democracy.

Preorder now.

On the Life of Former German Statesman Wolfgang Schäuble

Visiting Professor Anthony Teasdale was interviewed about the life of former German statesman Wolfgang Schäuble in a discussion with former European Parliament Secretary General Klaus Welle on Times Radio (37:35 - 49:10 min). Schäuble, who passed away on December 26, served as the 13th President of the Bundestag from 2017 to 2021 and was the longest-serving member of any democratic German parliament with 51 years of service.

"He delivered. And that was I think one of the key characteristics of Wolfgang Schäuble, he was a deliverer. He delivered on German unification, which was critical, he delivered during the Eurozone debt crisis [...] In a way, he was the conscience of fiscal conservativeness not only in Germany but in Europe," commented Anthony Teasdale.

Listen here.

A Serious Crisis That Didn't Go to Waste? The EU, the Covid-19 Pandemic and the Role of Ambiguity in Crisis-Management

Was the European response to the Covid-19 crisis coherent to the challenges posed by the pandemic?

In his new paper, Dr Gianmarco Fifi, the Nicholas Barr Fellow in European Political Economy at the LSE European Institute, argues that the response to the pandemic had little to do with the characteristics of the crisis at hand and was rather linked to pre-conceived priorities of key actors in Europe (particularly surrounding the need to foster the green transition).

Euro Turns 25 Today: Economic Success or Political Failure?

Professor Iain Begg was invited to speak on GBNews on January 1st, which marked the 25th anniversary of the euro being introduced in the euro area, the single currency adopted by 20 of the 27 member states of the European Union.

Watch the full broadcast.

LSE HE Blog Fellows Revealed for 2024

Visiting Fellow Dr Marina Cino Pagliarello has been selected as one of six LSE Higher Education Blog Fellows who will be sharing posts, podcasts and more in 2024 on six topical themes, ranging from AI and poetry to student voice, universities as diplomatic actors and medical education in Africa.

Learn more here.

New Geopolitics, Soft Power, and International Cultural Relations

Have the recent, significant shifts in geopolitics changed the role of soft power strategies and activities among leading world powers? What challenges and opportunities present themselves for cultural exchange, language programmes, educational institutions, universities, science diplomacy, and communication and media in a changed system of international relations?

On December 14th, Professor Iain Begg joined fellow experts on a panel a panel hosted by the Hertie School in Germany to discuss these questions.

Learn more here.

Shaping the Future of European Studies

The humanities play only a marginal role in academic research on Europe. Yet as Head of the European Institute Professor Simon Glendinning argues, there is much to gain from integrating the perspectives of humanities scholars into contemporary European studies.

Read the full piece on LSE Blog here.

European Cultural Policy and Climate Action

Visiting Senior Fellow Gijs De Vries has contributed a chapter in Cultural Governance in the 21st Century, a new book edited by Chris Bailey, Geert Drion and Elena Theodoulou Charalambous.

Read the chapter here.

The Global Refugee Forum Can Markedly Improve Refugee Economic Inclusion

In a recent piece from their new research project, Kemal Kirişci and Friedrich Püttmann, PhD candidate at the European Institute, break down what to expect at the Global Refugee Forum where representatives will gather to support the development of long-term, sustainable solutions to large movements of refugees.

"In this piece we argue that the Global Refugee Forum in Geneva offers an ideal opportunity to discuss the UNDP Türkiye's "Türkiye Compact" as a formula to achieve economic inclusion both for refugees & locals via trade facilitation as advocated by the Global Compact in Refugees," Kemal Kirisci commented in a tweet.

Read the full piece here.

Honorary Fellowship Conferred by Professor Kevin Featherstone to Former Greek Prime Minister and LSE Alumnus Dr Costas Simitis

At a ceremony held in Athens on 8 December, LSE awarded an Honorary Fellowship to former Prime Minister of Greece and LSE alumnus Dr. Costas Simitis in recognition of his exemplary contributions to society. The award was conferred by Professor Kevin Featherstone, Director of the Hellenic Observatory at the European Institute, and honorary Greek citizen.

“Yesterday LSE honoured one of its most distinguished Greek alumni, former Greek PM Costas Simitis. In a special celebration in Athens,Professor Simitis was awarded an LSE Honorary Fellowship, a prestigious award that was conferred by the Director of the HO Professor Kevin Featherstone,” the Hellenic Observatory said in a tweet.

The Economy 2030 Inquiry

On Monday, the Resolution Foundation presented the book-length final report “Ending Stagnation” in London (read here), culminating a two-year project called “The Economy 2030 Inquiry,” which bridges rigorous research, public involvement, political engagement, and concrete proposals for change in the UK.

The project aims to address economic change in the UK economy to help the country and its policymakers better understand and navigate it. Together with Giampaolo Galli, Visiting Professor in Practice Lorenzo Codogno contributed to a previous volume of the project titled “Navigating Economic Change, Lessons from Abroad and History”, with a paper on “Lessons from Italy’s economic decline” (read here).

The project is a collaboration between the Resolution Foundation (RF) and the Centre for Economic Performance (CEP) at LSE. At the presentation, the report was discussed by Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, and Jeremy Hunt, Chancellor of the Exchequer.

The Political Scar of Epidemics

Dr Orkun Saka’s latest research paper, "The Political Scar of Epidemics", has been published in The Economic Journal, one of the founding journals of modern economics first published in 1891. In this article, Dr Saka and his co-authors explore the long-term impact of living under epidemics on the formation of young people’s life-time political attitudes.

Read the full article here.

Unlikely Supporters? Giorgia Meloni, Brothers of Italy and the War in Ukraine

Dr Marta Lorimer presented her paper, “Unlikely supporters? Giorgia Meloni, Brothers of Italy and the War in Ukraine,” at a workshop in Paris at the Institut national des langues et civilisations orientales (INALCO) on "The Radical Right in Europe: Reaction, Adaptations and Political Strategies in the Context of the War in Ukraine."

Learn more here.

Op-Ed: Rishi Sunak’s ‘Superman’ Persona

Professor Kevin Featherstone, Director of the Hellenic Observatory at the European Institute, has published a new opinion piece discussing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak's attempt to change his public image and gain attention through a diplomatic incident involving the cancellation of a meeting with the Greek Prime Minister over the Parthenon Marbles.

Read the full piece here.

Migration and Soft Power: The EU’s Visa and Refugee Policy Response to the War in Ukraine

Visiting Fellow Dr Matilde Rosina has published a new article in Policy Studies examining the European Union’s response to Russia’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine in the field of migration, arguing that EU visa and refugee policies encompassed a distinctive foreign policy and soft power dimension.

Read the full article here.

The Extraordinary Generosity of Central Banks Towards Banks: Some Reflections on Its Origin

Professor Paul De Grauwe has co-authored a new article with Professor Yuemei Ji (UCL) for VOX EU arguing that a positive demand shock and favourable initial conditions, such as low inflation expectations, influence current inflation. These two factors make the job of central banks today much easier than during the 1979-85 period.

Read the full article here.

Dr. Abby Innes Introduces Late Soviet Britain: Why Materialist Utopias Fail

In an excerpt from the introduction to her new book, Late Soviet Britain: Why Materialist Utopias Fail, Associate Professor of Political Economy Dr Abby Innes considers how factors including the rise of neoliberalism have destabilised Britain’s governing institutions.

Read the full article here.

Where Does Europe's Far Right Stand on the Israel-Hamas War?

Dr Marta Lorimer was featured in a recent article by the Deutsche Welle (DW), commenting on the strategy of Europe's far right political parties since October 7th, including Le Pen's far-right National Rally party in France.

Read the full article here.

China & Germany Strengthen Economic Ties: High-Level Financial Talks Yield Agreement on 25 Topics

China and Germany renewed high level financial talks in Germany in which both sides reached agreement on some 25 topics. Increasing cooperation in insurance and banking, and expanding mutual market access were high on the agenda.

What is the state of China-Germany economic relations right now? Is Germany de-risking from China? And how are China and the EU working to arrive at better pragmatic financial cooperation? Professor Iain Begg joined a discussion alongside other academics to comment on these questions on the live broadcast of China Global Television Network.

Watch the full discussion here.

Former UK PM David Cameron Makes Shock Comeback as Sunak Reshuffles Cabinet

Professor Iain Begg was asked to comment on the return of former Prime Minister David Cameron to cabinet in a recent news article.

"Professor Iain Begg from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) described Cameron's appointment as "bold, puzzling and sensational."

"It's certainly a surprise that Rishi Sunak should decide to bring back one of his predecessors, David Cameron, as foreign secretary," he said, adding that "This is clearly an attempt to bring in serious experience at top of government." "

Read the full article here.

Europe Needs to Redefine What It Stands For

In his recent op-ed letter to the Financial Times, Dr Spyros Economides questions whether "it [is] worth talking about “the west” any more" and the need for a transatlantic consensus.

Read the full letter here.

Making Sense of the Outcome of the Polish Election

Despite producing a record voter turnout, violations of Polish electoral law and a misuse of state resources by the incumbent party have led to much criticism of the elections by observers, notably the Organisation for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE).

In our latest explainer video, Professor Iain Begg tells you everything you need to know to understand the latest headlines behind the Polish election.

Watch the full video here.

Europe, Ukraine and "the West"

Dr Spyros Economides and PhD candidate Andréa Delestrade have co-authored a commentary for the EUROPP blog on the difficulty of defining "the West" in the context of the war in Ukraine.

Read the full blog article here.

Obstacles to Local Cooperation in Fragmented, Left-Behind Economies: An Integrated Famework

The PhD project of Dr. Kira Gartzou-Katsouyanni, a PhD graduate of the European Institute who is now a Hellenic Bank Association Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Hellenic Observatory, has just been published in the Cambridge Journal of Regions, Economy, and Society. Through four case studies in Greece, Dr. Gartzou-Katsouyanni analysed how to induce local cooperation in low-trust, institutionally weak areas and developed an integrated theoretical framework to help diagnose the precise obstacles to cooperation faced in different types of adverse settings.

Read the full paper here.

Constructing an Effective Fiscal Framework – Challenges for Rachel Reeves

Professor Iain Begg has published a new blog which sets out the history of fiscal rules in the UK and explores the options available to Labour Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves should Labour get elected.

Read the full paper here.

Inter- and Intra-Ethnic Dialogues on War-Time Violence and its Legacies

Dr Denisa Kostovicova, Dr Sanja Vico, and
Dr Ivor Sokolić have co-authored a new JUSTINT policy paper in which they share their research and exchange ideas on inter- and intra-ethnic dialogues about legacies of violence with civil society practitioners from the Balkans.

Read the full paper here.

Options for a Stronger and More Agile EU Budget

Professor Iain Begg has co-authored a new study requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets (BUDG) on how to arrive at a stronger and more agile EU budget.

Professor Begg commented: "Thirty-five years on from last major reform, is it not time for a substantial overhaul of the EU's finances? Will radical solutions find favour?"

Read the full paper here.

LSE PhD Candidates Selected as the Nova Best Humanities and Social Science Students for their Work on Foreign Policy

PhD students Benedetta Morari from the European Institute and Emanuele Errichiello from the Department of International Relations have been selected as the Nova Best Humanities and Social Science Students for their work on EU foreign policy.

Commenting on the award, Benedetta said: "Having my work recognised as the Nova jury’s choice in the field of Humanities and Social Sciences is humbling, but most importantly, it is a testament to the importance of EU foreign policy studies in the current state of international affairs. This further motivates me to contribute, through my PhD work and the European Institute’s stimulating environment, to both theory and practice in the field."

View the full list of winners here.

The Criminalisation of Irregular Migration in Europe: Globalisation, Deterrence, and Vicious Cycles

Dr Matilde Rosina recently spoke to LSE Review of Books about her book, which investigates the realities and consequences of criminalising irregular migration in Europe, taking Italy and France as case studies.

Read the full interview here.

Late Soviet Britain: Why Materialist Utopias Fail

Dr Abby Innes has just released a new book adressing why the United Kingdom, historically one of the strongest democracies in the world, has become so unstable. In her latest work, Innes explores for the first time how the 'governing science' in Leninist and neoliberal revolutions fails for many of the same reasons.

Buy the book here.

Profits, Wages and Inflationary Dynamics in the Euro Area and the US in the Context of Uncertainty

A new paper has been published under the EI's EIQ discussion paper series authored by Stefan Collignon.

They write: "A sequence of severe shocks has brought inflation back to Europe and America, but unemployment is still at record low levels. Is higher unemployment required to bring inflation down? The challenges are the same for both economies across the Atlantic, the policy tools resemble each other, but they apply to different economic landscapes. What can we learn from each other? Who has been more successful? The paper looks at basic facts, the nature of shocks, and the efficiency of policy tools."

Read the full paper here.

Professor Paul De Grauwe visits the Bundesbank

What consequences does the remunaration of central bank reserves have for the profits of commercial banks and central banks?

Professor Paul De Grauwe addressed this topic as part of a talk given at the Bundesbank earlier this month for an event organised by the Bundesbank's Research Centre.

Learn more and watch the event recording here.

Towards monetary policies that do not subsidise banks

Professor Paul De Grauwe has co-authored a new paper alongside Dr. Yuemei Ji from University College London entitled Towards monetary policies that do not subsidise banks that has been published by the Centre for European Policy Studies.

Read the full article here.

Women's discursive agency in transitional justice policy-making: A feminist institutionalist approach

Dr Denisa Kostovicova and Dr Vesna Popovski have recently published an article in the Review of International Studies which looks at women’s impact on transitional justice policy-making in institutions using a feminist institutionalist perspective that makes visible gendered norms, rules, and discourses in institutions. In a short summary video featured by the British International Studies Association (BISA), the authors go through the key arguments from their latest article.

Click here to watch the full video.

Exhibition - At the Heart of War: Ukrainian Resiliance and Resistance through art

Dr Denisa Kostovicova co-organised an exhibition with Professor Tomila Lankina and Dr Mariia Zolkina on the war in Ukraine. Hosting works by Ukrainian artists and photographers, the exhibition is on display in the Atrium Gallery, LSE Old Building until 8 September 2023.

Click here for full details.

Interactions of fiscal and monetary policies under waves of optimism and pessimism

Professor Paul De Grauwe and Dr Pasquale Foresti have published a new article in the Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, examining fiscal and monetary policies interaction under the assumption that agents have limited cognitive capabilities. To this aim, they employ a behavioral New Keynesian model in which agents’ beliefs generate endogenous waves of optimism and pessimism.

Read the full article here.

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The De-Institutionalisatoin of Power Beyond the State

Professor Jonathan White has been awarded Best Article in the European Journal of International Relations 2023 for his article on how crisis politics has seen institutions such as the European Union subordinated to and reshaped by individuals and the networks they form.

Read it here.

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The EU’s Increasingly Complex Finances: A Ticking Bomb?

Professor Iain Begg has recently published a paper for CESifo that looks at the challenges facing the EU's finances and how they have become more complex because of a proliferation of off‑budget mechanisms alongside the traditional budget.

Read here.

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A New Era for Europe

Dr Orkun Saka has recently contributed to a policy report published by the European Commission on "A New Era for Europe: Emerging Challenges". Based on their joint research, Dr. Saka and his co-authors discuss in the report how Covid-19 crisis may impact public trust in EU institutions in the long-term. Final report is publicly available and can be downloaded here.

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Book Review - Alt Finance: How the City of London Bought Democracy

Joseph Ganderson has reviewed a book co-authored by Marlène Benquet and Théo Bourgeron that traces the influence of a class of ultra-Eurosceptic financiers on the Brexit referendum for the LSE Review of Books.

Click here to read the review.

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Turkey’s Economic Problems and Solutions

Dr Orkun Saka co-organised a workshop along with Professor Yaprak Gusroy (Chair, LSE Contemporary Turkish Studies) and the LSE Systemic Risk Centre on Turkey's economy, politics and institutions.

Read the full programme here.

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Rising Rates, Spiralling Costs

Dr Angelo Martelli hs been interviewed by the Italian newspaper La Stampa on the European Central Bank and labour markets in the Eurozone.

Read the interview here.

'Glocalisation' of Music Streaming within and across Europe

A new paper has been published under the EI's EIQ discussion paper series authored by Will Page and Chris Dalla Riva.

They write: "British artists accounted for all the Top Ten of the end-of-year singles chart of 2022 – for the first time since the charts were published over 50 years ago. A quick glance across the continent uncovered a similarly intriguing trend. Many of the top ten acts in Germany were German, many in Italy were Italian and all the top ten songs in Spain were in Spanish, although the vast majority were Latin American. These observations prompted us to ask a pertinent question: has the ubiquity of streaming increased or decreased the threat of homogenisation?"

Read the full paper here.

Criminalising the sex buyer

Dr Niina Vuolajärvi has penned a piece for LSE's social science magazine, Research for the World. In it she examines the debate of legalisation of sex work as legislation is presented in the European Parliament. Vuolajärvi urges policy makers to distance themselves from ideological stances and centre the experiences of sex workers in the design of policies and services.

Read here.

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The extraordinary generosity of central banks towards banks

Along with Yumei Ji of University College London, Professor Paul de Grauwe has penned a piece for the Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR). They look at the policies Central Banks have adopted in Europe in relation to private banks in order to tackle inflation.

Read here.

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The Myth of Peace and Statehood in European Integration Theory

Dr Eva Polonska-Kimunguyi has published a new article in the peer-reviewed journal, European Foreign Affairs Review. The article looks at early EU integration through the postcolonial lens and argues that both EU self-image and EU theory do not consider colonialism and empire and have silenced the violence committed outside Europe.

Read here.

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Reconciliation by Stealth

Dr Denisa Kostovicova has a new book out, published by Cornell University Press. The work advances a novel approach to evaluating the effects of transitional justice in postconflict societies.

Buy the book here.

The Welfare States of Hungary’s Fidesz and Poland’s Law and Justice: Explaining the Surprisingly Divergent Trajectories

A new paper has been published under the EI's EIQ discussion paper series authored by Jakub Tomášek.

They write: "the Fidesz-led government in Hungary and the Law and Justice-led government in Poland have shared important similarities since assuming power in the last decade, from party ideology to selective engagement with collective bargaining institutions. Yet, their approach to the welfare state has markedly contrasted, with Poland expanding and Hungary retrenching welfare provision. This paper uses the method of difference to address this conundrum."

Read the full paper here.

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Trauma as Revelation

For the April/May issue of The World Today, Professor Yaprak Gürsoy has penned an article looking at the effects the February earthquakes may have on President Erdoğan and the upcoming Turkish elections.

Read here.

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The Risk of Isolating China

Lorenzo Codogno, Visiting Professor in Practice, has written an article for Domani on the the greater risks posed to the world economy of the isolation of China over Russia.

Read the original article here, and English translation here.

The Impact of Russia's Invasion on European Attitudes

A new paper has been published under the EI's EIQ discussion paper series authored by Margaryta Klymak and Tim Vlandas.

They write: "Despite historically low levels of interstate conflicts in the second half of the 20th century, the European continent is once again facing the threat of war at its doorstep. Public opinion plays a crucial role in shaping public policies so whether and how the Russian invasion has affected the attitudes and views of citizens in other countries will be an important factor in European governments’ continuing humanitarian and military support to Ukraine."

Read the full paper here.

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Accounting for Net Zero

Gijs de Vries, Visiting Senior Fellow, for the IMF Blog looks at the existential risks of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution and how they should lead influential bodies to upgrade their audits and join the global net-zero coalition.

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Brothers no more?

Serbia and Kosovo have both given approval to an EU-brokered agreement on normalising their relations. Dr Denisa Kostovicova assesses the significance of the agreement and what a resolution to the Kosovo dispute would mean for Russia’s power in the Balkans in a new EUROPP Blog entry.

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Earthquake economics

Dr Orkun Saka has recently been interviewed by Arirang News (a Korean news channel broadcasting in English) on the potential economic consequences of the recent earthquakes in Turkey.

The interview and the related news can be watched on YouTube here.

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Social tracking methodology for the EU budget

Professor Iain Begg has completed a recent study requested by the European Parliament's Committee on Budgets (BUDG) that explores what the current state of social tracking in the MFF and RRF is, how it could be improved & put forward a proposal for a theory-based monitoring for EU social spending tracking.

Read more here.

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Monetary policies, bank subsidies

Professor Paul De Grauwe and Dr Yuemei Ji (UCL) have co-written a new column for The Centre for Economic Policy Research (CEPR) that looks at how central banks pay interest on commercial banks’ holdings of cash reserves at the central bank. This column argues that a better policy would be to combine sustained sales of government bonds with higher minimum reserve requirements.

Read more here.

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Professor Kevin Featherstone awarded honorary Greek citizenship

Professor Kevin Featherstone was granted honorary Greek citizenship for his academic work on Greece and for his significant contribution to the promotion of research and debate on contemporary Greece and Cyprus.

In a special ceremony held at Maximos Mansion, on Tuesday 21 February, he took the Greek Citizen oath before the Prime Minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis and the Secretary General of Citizenship, Athanasios Balerbas.

“I was born English - surely some mistake - but today I became Greek, and it is a great honour for me to be Greek now; it means a lot to me, and I am very proud. Thanks to everyone who helped me on my journey. Greece is a country, a people, an idea that I have learned to love very much. It has given me so much. Thank you very much.”

Watch the video of the ceremony here and read the press release.

Cultural Stereotypes of Multinational Banks

A new paper has been published under the EI's EIQ discussion paper series: "Cultural Stereotypes of Multinational Banks", authored by Barry Eichengreen and Dr Orkun Saka.

They write: "The effect of stereotypes is persistent over time, stronger for less diversified banks, and weaker for target countries whose bonds appear more frequently in bank portfolios. Cultural stereotypes are particularly salient when governments are hit by sovereign debt crises."

Read the full paper here.

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Community is the Strategy

A new episode from Visiting Fellow Dr Idil Elveris on her podcast "We Can Find A Way" featuring Emily May, co-founder of the NGO "Right To Be" which tackles street harassment through education and training including bystander intervention programmes.

Listen here.

Re-Politicising Merger Policy: Regulating Foreign Takeovers in Britain and Italy

A new paper has been published under the EI's EIQ discussion paper series: "Re-Politicising Merger Policy: Regulating Foreign Takeovers in Britain and Italy", authored by Bernardo Rangoni and Mark Thatcher.

They write: "While much attention has been given to ‘de-politicisation’, its reversal through ‘repoliticisation’ is also possible. We examine ‘institutional re-politicisation’ - increases in the formal powers and discretion of elected politicians’ - in hard cases - policies for regulating Cross-Border Mergers and Acquisitions (CBMAs), focusing specifically on Britain and Italy."

Read the full paper here.

Cultural stereotypes of multinational banks: how biases spread and affect bank lending to governments

Dr Orkun Saka has had an article and book recommendation included in January's LSE Research for the World.

In his article, 'Cultural stereotypes of multinational banks', Dr. Saka writes: "Experts in finance tend to characterise the investment decisions of financial institutions as driven by careful evaluation of hard information. We emphasise, in contrast, that the international investment of multinational banks are also influenced by deeply held cultural stereotypes about the trustworthiness of different nationalities."

Read the article here and find Dr. Saka's book suggestion on the recommended reading list here.

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Completing a Genuine Economic and Monetary Union

Professor Iain Begg has published a new short book with Cambridge University Press, Completing a Genuine Economic and Monetary Union.

The book examines efforts to strengthen Economic and Monetary Union in the European Union, especially over the last decade, asking if enough has been done to render it more sustainable and resilient. Drawing on a survey of 111 leading experts on the economics and politics of EMU, this Element reviews the wide-ranging reforms undertaken since the crises of the early 2010s and assesses whether they go far enough.

Find it here.

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The phone tappings shouldn’t be an excuse to disempower a PM

Professor Kevin Featherstone has written a new article for eKathimerini, discussing the impact a phone-tapping scandal might have on the next election in Greece.

He writes: "The phone-tapping scandal may determine the outcome of the next election in Greece. It ought not to reverse the changes made to the i

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Bank lending to governments influenced by cultural stereotypes in Europe

A recent research paper co-authored by Dr Orkun Saka has been featured by The Banker. The paper outlines how culturally-motivated trust biases of bank managers affect their banks’ sovereign debt investments.

Interviewed by The Banker, Dr Saka commented: “We think that the best remedy to counteract such cultural biases is to improve the national diversity of these managerial teams at headquarters making sure that all cultural views are represented in decision-making. As some cultures have positive and others have negative perceptions of the same target investment (e.g. government bonds of a target country), this would tilt decision-making towards a more balanced perspective”.

The full story can be read here and the related research paper could be accessed here.

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4th LSE Workshop on Political Economy of Turkey

The European Institute, Systemic Risk Centre and Contemporary Turkish Studies at the London School of Economics and Political Science are jointly organising the 4th LSE Workshop on Political Economy of Turkey.

The workshop will be hybrid (at LSE campus & online), and will take place on 2nd June 2023. It will feature around 7 selected presentations, and culminate in a public keynote lecture by Sebnem Kalemli-Ozcan (University of Maryland). The event is co-organised by Dr. Orkun Saka alongside a programme committee including EI faculty members Prof. Chris Anderson, Prof. Paul De Grauwe and Prof. Yaprak Gursoy.

The call for papers can be found here and the workshop website here.

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UK Strikes

Dr Orkun Saka has recently been interviewed by TRT Haber (news channel of Turkish State TV) on the issue of ongoing labour strikes in UK.

He commented that the potential bans on certain professions (such as nursing) will not be sufficient to prevent the strikes in the short-term and the increased push on wages due to labour shortages in the post-Brexit period will continue to affect the country in the medium-term.

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Policy-makers must not look to the “Nordic model” for sex trade legislation

The “Nordic model” of sex trade legislation purports to target sex buyers and third-parties, ostensibly removing sex sellers from criminalisation. However, this approach leaves sex sellers, in particular migrant workers, ever more vulnerable to violence and exploitation, according to a report published by Dr Niina Vuolajärvi.

The report’s conclusions are based on 210 formal interviews with sex workers, police, social workers, and policymakers in Sweden, Norway and Finland, alongside policy and legal analysis.Read Dr Vuolajärvi's report here.

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Cultural Stereotypes of Multinational Banks

Dr Orkun Saka has published a new working paper at the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) on Cultural Stereotypes of Multinational Banks.

With his co-author Barry Eichengreen, they employ hand-collected data spanning more than a decade on European banks’ sovereign debt portfolios and show that the trust of residents of a bank’s countries of operation in the residents of a potential target country of investment has a positive effect on the bank's cross-border exposures. They go on to trace how cultural stereotypes could spread from bank branches to headquarters through internal managerial flows within banks and illustrate how negative stereotypes become more salient during times of sovereign debt crises.

The NBER working paper can be accessed here. You can also read it on CEPR here.

‘I’m in crisis every day’: prices outpace Belgians’ inflation-matched pay

Paul De Grauwe has been featured in an article from the Guardian, discussing the impact of inflation on the cost of living in Belgium.

"Paul De Grauwe, an economist at the London School of Economics and former Belgian MP and senator, does not see much evidence of a wage-price spiral. Belgian inflation is close to the European average, he points out, and its consumer prices index in November was slightly lower than Germany’s (11.3% as estimated by Eurostat).

Indexation could prove tricky for some firms, however. “The adjustment will be 10-11% all at once in January, so that is potentially a big shock,” De Grauwe said."

Read the full article here.

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Broken Britain feeling the pinch as RMT leads Christmas strikes

Professor Bob Hancké has been quoted in an article from the National News, discussing the forthcoming strike action over the Christmas period.

He said: "Trade unions have understandably not been very happy with 12 years of Tory government. The austerity of the first seven years, and the incompetence of the last five, including some of the corruption and sleaze, has now also cut through to the public at large, and unions in the sectors on strike are capitalising on the combination of labour market power and a broad sense of political malaise."

Read the full article here.

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Lessons from Italy’s economic decline: Exploring how some of Italy’s traps may become future challenges for the UK economy

Is the British economy following Italy’s declining growth path, as The Economist recently suggested for politics?

In a recent comparative paper with Giampaolo Galli on “Lessons from Italy’s economic decline: Exploring how some of Italy’s traps may become future challenges for the UK economy”, Lorenzo Codogno discussed what (negative) lessons could be drawn from Italy’s experience.

It is a chapter of a book published by the LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance and Resolution Foundation as part of a large-scale project called the “Economy 2030 Inquiry”, which will set out ideas for the UK as it navigates economic challenges in coming years. Mr Codogno recently presented the paper at a round table on “Britain’s next decade: Lessons from overseas” at the “Festival of Economics 2022” in partnership with Economics Observatory and Bristol Ideas, Bristol, 17 November 2022.

Read more here.

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The world is in a mess… it usually is

Professor Kevin Featherstone has written a new article for eKathimerini, discussing the impact and state of various global situations.

He writes: "After a period of uncertainty and speculation as to his whereabouts, Oscar Wilde responded to journalists’ questions by declaring, “Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” Those convinced that current international threats and instability presage the decline of the West warrant a similar response."

Read the full interview here.

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Book Review: Europe: A Philosophical History, Parts 1 and 2 by Simon Glendinning

Professor Simon Glendinning's new two-volume book has been featured for a review by LSE Blogs.

"In his two-volume work Europe: A Philosophical History, Simon Glendinning explores how emblematic European philosophers have understood Europe and detected a pattern or trajectory to its development. Full of illuminating detail, there is much to be gained from reading these books, writes Jonathan Wolff, as Glendinning’s skill as reader, expositor and critic shines throughout."

Read the full review here.

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Economic Challenges for Europe After the Pandemic

Lorenzo Codogno has contributed a chapter to a new book recently published: Economic Challenges for Europe After the Pandemic.

His chapter, titled 'Assessing Next Generation EU', looks at the unprecedented fiscal package adopted by the European Council in Summer 2020. Learn more here.

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Restorative walk: healing through interaction with abuser

LSE European Institute Visiting Fellow Dr Idil Elveris has shared a new episode of her podcast WeCanFindAWay, covering issues relating to conflict. In this episode, guest Gemma Maria Varona Martinez describes “restorative walks” as a concept, especially in times of human rights violations.

Gemma explains why a concept like restorative walk is needed for a person’s search for justice, not only in political violence cases but also in environmental cases, and how an activity like walking could repair harm for victims.

Listen to the episode here.

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Trust and Monetary Policy

Professor Paul De Grauwe will be awarded an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Murcia, Spain on 7 October. Congratulations!

He will also give a seminar on "Trust and Monetary Policy" during his stay in Murcia.

Financing higher education : A strategy and lessons from the UK

Professor Nicholas Barr gave an online lecture on 'Financing higher education: A strategy and lessons from the UK' at the Sixth panel of scholars and academics: Rethinking the funding system of higher education: A new public education for Chile on 4 October.

Pension: What have we learned since 2000?

An article co-authored by Professor Nicholas Barr has been published in a Spanish language paper reflecting on 20 years of pension reform.

Read it here, on pages 51-95: Prosperidad Y Pensiones

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30th Anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty International Conference

Professor Paul De Grauwe gave a keynote lecture on the governance of the Eurozone, while attending the 30th Anniversary of the Maastricht Treaty International Conference in Maastricht on 29 September.

Reforming pensions to protect adequate and sustainable benefits

Professor Nicholas Barr has written an article discussing the reformation of pension design, to protect workers close to retirement.

He writes: "Given the number of people and the costs involved, it is important that pensions adjust to changing economic and demographic circumstances. The design of a country’s pension system, including benefit levels, pension age, and incentives that influence the choices individuals face when planning for their retirement, matter both for safeguarding old-age security and to protect the long-term financial stability of the system."

Read the full post here.

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Perpetuating Crisis as a Supply Strategy

Natascha Zaun has published a new journal article, titled: "Perpetuating Crisis as a Supply Strategy: The Role of (Nativist) Populist Governments in EU Policymaking on Refugee Distribution".

She writes: "We still know very little of how populist governments behave as compared to mainstream governments in Council decision-making. Studying the ‘crucial case’ of negotiations around refugee distribution in the EU, an issue which allows populists to mobilize both anti-EU and anti-immigrant sentiment, we demonstrate that populist governments differ from mainstream ones in three important ways."

Read it here.

Trussonomics for dummies

Professor Nicholas Barr has published a blog discussing the recent mini-budget revealed by the Government.

He writes: "In the face of high inflation, the government’s mini-budget on 23 September was concerned mainly with the largest tax cuts in 40 years, projected at nearly £45bn by 2027, together with an increase in government borrowing of £72bn (see also analyses by the Institute for Fiscal Studies and the Resolution Foundation)."

Read the full post here.

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Reconciliation must be part of peace

LSE European Institute Visiting Fellow Dr Idil Elveris has shared a new episode of her podcast WeCanFindAWay, covering issues relating to conflict. This time, she spoke with the women from the Parents Circle, an organization that consists of more than 600 bereaved families from Palestine and Israel who believe in non-violence and reconciliation.

Guests Robi Damelin and Layla Alsheikh talk about the importance of reconciliation and seeing the other as human and developing empathy despite the ongoing occupation and warfare in their countries.

Listen to the episode here.

Perpetuating Crisis as a Supply Strategy

Dr Natascha Zaun has published a new paper, titled Perpetuating Crisis as a Supply Strategy: The Role of (Nativist) Populist Governments in EU Policymaking on Refugee Distribution.

Read the full article here.

Planning for the future: the funding challenge

Professor Nicholas Barr gave a talk on ‘Planning for the future: the funding challenge’ at the Universities UK Annual Conference: Facing the future with confidence, in Leicester on 7 September 2022.

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Meritocracy, Growth, & Lessons from Italy’s Economic Decline

Lorenzo Codogno has co-authored a new book recently published by Oxford University Press, Meritocracy, Growth, & Lessons from Italy’s Economic Decline: Lobbies (and Ideologies) Against Competition and Talent.

The book investigates the deep-rooted causes of Italy’s failure to deliver on economic growth and prosperity, explores the complex historical vicissitudes that led to the prominence of connections over merit in many key aspects of Italian society and economy, uses international comparisons on social capital, governance, the role of the public sector, social mobility, financial structures, and more to evaluate Italy’s economic performance.

Learn more here.

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The United Kingdom’s next prime minister may be an even bigger Brexiteer than Boris Johnson

Professor Kevin Featherstone has been quoted in an article, discussing the politics of the new Prime Minister Liz Truss.

He said: "Kevin Featherstone, a professorial research fellow in the European Institute at the London School of Economics, said that toughness on the EU has transcended actual policy goals and is now a culture war issue. To go after bureaucrats in Brussels is to shore up your populist appeal. Being anti-EU is a vibe, whatever the policy stakes and fallout."

Read the full article here.

The relevance of strengthening welfare states and the role of the state in pension systems

On 31 August, Professor Nicholas Barr gave a keynote lecture [online] on the topic of ‘The relevance of strengthening welfare states and the role of the state in pension systems’.

The speech took place at the Second Regional Seminar on Social Development: ‘Social Security and the Protracted Crisis: An Opportunity to Combat Inequality in the Framework of a Welfare State in Latin America and the Caribbean’, United Nations Economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean, Santiago, Chile.

You can view here the video and Professor Barr's slides.

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Hatred is mostly born from lack of freedom

Dr Sanja Vico was interviewed about Western Balkans politics for Al Jazeera Balkans. She discussed the issues of democracy, identity, transitional justice, and talked about her research on the role social media in transitional justice process, part of LSE JUSTINT project. Available here.

Her main arguments can be summarised as: (1) identity politics hinders democracy in the WB region, (2) constitutional patriotism may be a good solution for overcoming divisions in the region, and (3) social media are like a stage and therefore have a limited potential to facilitate a genuine dialogue on the issues of past conflicts.

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Italy’s Far-Right Favorite Aims to Stick to EU Budget Rules

Dr. Marta Lorimer has been quoted in an article from Yahoo News, regarding Italian far-right leader Giorgia Meloni planning to stick to European Union budget rules if she leads the next government.

Dr. Lorimer said: “Meloni has been very good at differentiating herself from mainstream parties without scaring voters off. While Orban remains a great source of inspiration for all right-wing parties, she won’t campaign on an anti-euro agenda like Salvini once did and her economic policies will focus more on cutting taxes than on state intervention.”

Read the article here.

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Citizens' assembly for managing conflict

LSE European Institute Visiting Fellow Dr Idil Elveris has shared a new episode of her podcast WeCanFindAWay, covering issues relating to conflict. In this episode, they discuss the Citizens’ Assembly in Ireland which resolved the most contentios abortion issue in Ireland through a deliberative democracy model. Guest Barry O’Mahoney, who was a facilitator in the assembly, argues that if the Brexit was discussed on the basis of a citizens assembly it would have turned out differently.

"Citizens' assembly is a deliberative democracy model especially for talking about contentious issues in society. It worked in Ireland to resolve a never ending contentious issue like abortion. How was this model developed; how did it work; how were citizens selected, on the basis of which criteria; what were the principles employed during the process; can it be used in other countries?"

Listen to the episode here.

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Gen Z: How young people are changing activism

The BBC conducted an interview with Dr. Orkun Saka about the potential impact of Covid-19 on how Gen Z views politics, based on Dr. Saka's recent research into the topic.

Dr. Saka was quoted saying: “[After epidemics] While young individuals withdraw from formal politics – which is not that surprising, given their lack of trust – they also tend to increase their participation in the democratic process via alternative and more direct means. They may become more critical towards their political leaders and governments, which is not a bad consequence in and of itself.”

The related academic article has recently been accepted for publication at The Economic Journal and an open access version can be found here.

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The Boris story: Ending like it started

Professor Kevin Featherstone has written an article published in eKathimerini, discussing the resignation of Boris Johnson as UK Prime Minister.

Professor Featherstone writes: "His impact was one of the lowering of moral standards in public life and bravado about Brexit, while creating a mess. An official investigation will report his unacceptable delays in dealing with Covid. The Boris effect was more about emotions than substance. As Christine Lagarde might say, “the adults are back in the room.”"

Read the full article here.

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Digital Divide Exacerbated During Recent Epidemics, Research Reveals

The Fintech Times, world’s leading media outlet on FinTech issues, featured a research paper co-authored by Dr. Orkun Saka on how epidemics affect individuals’ usage and adoption of various financial technologies, which is now forthcoming in the Journal of Money, Credit and Banking. Various other outlets such as Crowdfund Insider and Finextra also covered the same research paper.

Dr. Saka was quoted saying: “This evidence tells us that although we have seen a swap from in-person to online banking over recent epidemics, including Covid-19, banks should think twice before permanently closing bricks and mortar branches. After every epidemic we studied, people almost always returned to in-person banking.”

The forthcoming version of the academic article can be found here and an open access version here.

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Italy's president refuses Prime Minister Draghi's resignation

Lorenzo Codogno has been quoted in an article from the Times of Malta, discussing Italian President Sergio Mattarella's refusal to accept Prime Minister Mario Draghi's resignation.

The article reads: ""Unless there is a last-ditch compromise, a formal government crisis looks inevitable," Lorenzo Codogno, a professor at the London School of Economics".

Read the full piece here.

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Inflation: What's going on right now?

Demand is going up, supply is going down, and costs are rising. Everything that causes inflation is operating together.

In this short video, Professor Nick Barr explains what's happening to cause prices to rise so drastically in 2022 — not just in the UK, but around the world.

Watch the video here.

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World Bank funding may come back to haunt us

BizNews featured a research paper co-authored by Dr. Orkun Saka on the government’s strategic manipulation of state-bank lending in Turkey, which was published in The Economic Journal last year.

It said: "[These findings] should be cause for great concern, not only because of the ruling party’s well documented history of malfeasance, but also because of the surge of political party opposition in the country where the ruling party continues to lose in key municipal battlegrounds."

The published version of the academic article can be found here and an open access version here.

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Meritocracy, Growth, and Lessons from Italy's Economic Decline

Lorenzo Codogno has co-authored a new book, looking at the economic state of Italy.

The book investigates the deep-rooted causes of Italy's failure to deliver on economic growth and prosperity, Explores the complex historical vicissitudes that led to the prominence of connections over merit in many key aspects of Italian society and economy and uses international comparisons on social capital, governance, the role of the public sector, social mobility, financial structures, and more to evaluate Italy's economic performance.

Learn more here.

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Retirement dreams, busted

Professor Nicholas Barr’s has been quoted in an article from Politico, discussing the issue with European pension schemes being stretched thin.

He said: "You've got the long-term needs of a pension plan colliding with the pressures of short-term politics. And the pressure of short-term politics say young people don't vote and old people do. So you’ve got a political bias."

Read it here.

Crisis and Complementarities: A Comparative Political Economy of Economic Policies after COVID-19

Dr. Bob Hancké, Toon Van Overbeke and Dustin Voss have published a new paper in Perspectives on Politics, looking at economic policies post-COVID-19 pandemic.

They write: "Our results serve as a cautionary tale to policymakers that introducing policy elements developed in other institutional contexts is complex and challenge us to consider systematically the way in which institutional frameworks actively shape policy outcomes."

Read it here.

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Pensions: how much choice?

Professor Nicholas Barr’s paper ‘Pensions: How much choice?’, was published by CENIE International Centre on Aging and in Spanish as ‘Pensiones: ¿Cuántas opciones hay?’, Centro Internacional sobre el Envejecimiento.

Read it here.

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Economics of the Monetary Union

The fourteenth edition of Professor Paul de Grauwe's book, Economics of the Monetary Union, has now been released.

In the only textbook to focus on both the costs and benefits of monetary unions, Paul De Grauwe explores current issues surrounding the Eurozone and critically analyses the theories and policies relating to monetary union.

New information in this edition includes content related to the effects of Covid-19 on the Eurozone and European Central Bank, as well as additional end-of-chapter questions enabling students to recap their understanding of the concepts and theories presented. Learn more here.

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Perspectives on staying & leaving in war

LSE European Institute Visiting Fellow Dr Idil Elveris has shared a new episode of her podcast WeCanFindAWay, covering issues relating to conflict. The latest episode looks at the stories of two people affected by the conflict in Ukraine: Tatyana Bilyk, a family mediator from Ukraine who has shared her experience through two letters, and Sergey Ponomarev, a Russian photographer who had to leave Russia after government pressure, and who has covered significant incidents in Russia and beyond through his career.

Dr Elveris said: "I wanted to tell their stories for several reasons: the somewhat ironic fact that [Tatyana] is still in Ukraine while [Sergey] left Russia, their respective professions playing out in unexpected ways in the current conflict (her role as mediator but now finding herself in the midst of conflict, his role of photographer of refugees becoming a refugee himself)."

Listen to the episode here.

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Ideas and European Education Policy 1973-2020

Dr. Marina Cino Pagliarello has published a new book, Ideas and European Education Policy 1973-2020. The book is the main output of her PhD and of the ESRC grant she was awarded.

According to publishers Palgrave MacMillan, the book "constructs a novel three-stage analytical framework which captures how ideas open new political spaces, chronicles the transformation of European education from a national to a supranational concern and highlights questions about the role of European business in education".

Learn more here.

International Genç Ekonomistler Congress

Dr. Orkun Saka has delivered a keynote speech for the 5th International Genç Ekonomistler Congress on the political consequences of financial crises and epidemics. The recording of his full speech (in Turkish) can be found here.

Political Scar of Epidemics

A research article by Dr. Orkun Saka and his co-authors (Barry Eichengreen and Cevat Aksoy) on the “Political Scar of Epidemics” has been accepted for publication by The Economic Journal, one of the world’s oldest and leading journals in economics.

They write: "Epidemic exposure in an individual’s “impressionable years” (ages 18 to 25) has a persistent negative effect on confidence in political institutions and leaders. This loss of trust is associated with epidemic-induced economic difficulties, such as lower income and unemployment later in life."

The latest NBER working paper can be found here.

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We need a regional approach to justice after mass atrocity

Dr. Denisa Kostovicova has been featured in an article discussing countries confronting their legacies of atrocity in order to build peace.

Dr. Kostovicova writes: "My research shines new light on the hotly debated role of civil society and human rights non-governmental organisations (NGOs) in post-conflict peace-building. It points to the perils of the prevailing narrative, in much of the recent scholarship and in some practitioner circles, about the negative role of civil society and human rights NGOs in post-conflict societies."

Read the full piece here.

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Less choice is better: LSE research guides Swedish pension reform

Professor Nicholas Barr was featured in a piece looking at Swedish pension reform and his role in it.

"The conclusion of nearly a decade of discussion and collaboration, the Law Council referral (preliminary bill or “lagrådsremiss” in Swedish) “quotes the extraordinary consultation of the London School of Economics”, the email continues. While, inevitably, compromises have been made along the way, a system facing significant stresses is now more sustainable, with changes that will benefit ordinary citizens. As the official puts it – “the dream is alive!”."

Read the full piece here.

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COVID-19 and Trust among the Young

Dr. Orkun Saka's has co-authored a new opinion piece in the June issue of the IMF’s Finance & Development, looking at the impact of governments' response to major world events on the trust young people have in politicians.

They write: "Without trust, politicians struggle to convince people to follow their advice and instructions. From COVID-19 to climate change and now the Russian invasion of Ukraine, governments are asking or telling people to alter their behavior and make sacrifices—great sacrifices in the case of war."

Read the full article here.

LSE's Research Excellence Framework 2021 results announced

The results of the latest Research Excellence Framework (REF) have been released, with the European Institute found amongst the top departments of European study.

Professor Jonathan White, department Deputy Head, said: "REF 2021 results have now been published, and the European Institute is proud to be ranked amongst the very top departments for the study of Europe.

"Our research environment was ranked second amongst the units assessed, and our impact fifth. 94% of our evaluations were scored 4* or 3*, putting us fifth overall by this measure. We were seventh across all of Area Studies in REF 2021.

"As a department with global expertise on the study of Europe in its many dimensions, we look forward to extending our research in the coming years to keep pace with Europe’s shifting challenges and rapidly evolving place in the world."

Find out more about the School's results here.

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Labour: Election results ‘not quite good enough’ for Starmer to topple Tories - expert

Professor Kevin Featherstone has been featured in an article analysing the results of the recent local elections.

"Professor Kevin Featherstone, a politics academic at the London School of Economics and Political Finance, told Express.co.uk that while the local election results were disappointing for the Tories they’re “still not quite good enough for the opposition parties”."

Read the full article here.

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Pressure mounts on Boris Johnson: Will the PM face a Tory leadership vote?

Professor Kevin Featherstone has been interviewed in the Express, looking at the potential results of the forthcoming local elections and its ramifications for the Prime Minister.

He said: "Even if the Privileges Committee came back to say that he should be suspended for a day etcetera, I think Boris might still survive on the basis that like the fixed penalty notice he’s apologised and accepted that he was wrong."

Read the full article here.

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The European Institute and me

Closing our series to mark the 30th anniversary of the European institute at LSE, Adam Austerfield (MSc Political Economy of Transition in Europe, 1998) shares his own story.

He writes: "It was a lot of fun, and LSE began to get under my skin and into my brain (often making the latter hurt). I would often discreetly slide away from my desk and “bunk off” to listen to faculty on areas I had found myself working with, or daytime public lectures on a whole range of subjects."

Read the full blog article here.

Professor Nicholas Barr

Income-contingent loans and the finance of higher education

Nicholas Barr gave an online keynote lecture on ‘Income-contingent loans and the finance of higher education: Lessons from economic theory and international experience’ at a conference on Higher education funding models and the possible impact of changing the funding system, Tartu, Estonia 28 April 2022.

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A lesser evil: Young French voters struggle to back Macron despite worries over Le Pen

Dr Marta Lorimer has been interviewed by Yahoo News, for an article looking into young French voters' uncertainty around the election.

She said: "It has become more evident that yes, Le Pen has detoxified the brand and changed some of its positions, but also that there’s not much of a difference between the fundamentals of the old National Front and the new National Rally. I think voters are beginning to see that. Some voters have always seen it."

Read the full article here.

Epidemics can lead to a long-term loss of confidence in leaders

Dr. Orkun Saka's research on epidemics and political trust has recently been quoted by a South African news publisher, EWN.

"This point is further elevated by Orkun Saka, visiting fellow in the European Institute, who conducted extensive research on the impact of epidemics on young people’s confidence in those in power and produced thought-provoking results showing that public trust is vital if governments are to effectively lead. Once lost, that trust is hard to win back and cannot be disputed that pandemic opened a gap between authorities and electorates."

Read the full article here.

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Le Pen’s Resilience Makes France’s Election a Much Closer Race

Dr Marta Lorimer has been quoted in Bloomberg Quint, discussing the forthcoming election in France.

"“It’s one of the perverse ways in which a more extreme candidate validates her claim that she is less extreme than she actually is,” said Marta Lorimer, an expert on the French far right at the London School of Economics. “Le Pen hasn’t really changed that much, substantively. A lot is the same. She has been both lucky and has demonstrated that she is more of a politician than Zemmour.”"

Read the full article here.

Whatever happens now, Putin has changed politics in Europe

Professor Kevin Featherstone has published an article on eKathimerini, reflecting on the impact Putin's war in Ukraine has had and will have on Europe.

He writes: "There’s an immediate cause and effect here between Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the European Union signaling a new strategy of developing a stronger security role for itself. In Lenin’s terms, the EU has moved “decades” with its declaration at Versailles and its deliberations at the European Council last week."

Read the article here.

Professor Nicholas Barr

From pension policy to practice

Professor Nicholas Barr was an interviewee at an episode of Pioneering Pensions: interview with Stefan Lundbergh, aired 7 April 2022.

Professor Barr and Stefan Lundbergh discuss experiences and identify lessons from pension systems across the world. What does good look like when it comes to the pension choices that are offered? Do we focus too much on how we think people should act, rather than looking at how they do act?

Watch the full interview here.

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Epidemic Exposure, Financial Technology, and the Digital Divide

Dr. Orkun Saka's research on how epidemics shape financial technology adoption around the globe is now forthcoming at the Journal of Money, Credit and Banking.

Dr. Saka and his co-authors (Barry Eichengreen and Cevat Aksoy) exploit a new dataset combining Gallup World Polls and Global Findex surveys for some 250,000 individuals in 140 countries and find that epidemics lead to an increase in remote-access (online/mobile) banking and substitution from bank branch-based to ATM-based activity. However, these effects are mostly determined by the pre-existing inequalities in the same society in the form of income, employment and digital infrastructure.

NBER working paper version can be freely accessed here.

Mr Lorenzo Codogno

Central banks must switch to a war footing

Professor Lorenzo Codogno has written a piece for the OMFIF, looking at the changes central banks must make to their policy due to the war in Ukraine.

He writes: "However, it would not be business as usual for central banks. Sanctions and disruptions to the global supply chain are here to stay. Central banks will lack clarity on the effects of these economic phenomena. The risk of a long-lasting impact on supply with a persistent adverse consequence on economic growth cannot be easily dismissed."

Read the full article here.

Trust and Monetary Policy

Professor Paul de Grauwe has co-authored a new publication "Trust and Monetary Policy", analysing how trust affects the transmission of negative demand and supply shocks.

He and co-author Yuemei Ji wrote: "We define trust to have two dimensions: there is trust in the central bank's inflation target and trust in the future of economic activity. We use a behavioural macroeconomic model that is characterized by the fact that individuals lack the cognitive ability to understand the underlying model and to know the distribution of the shocks that hit the economy."

Professor de Grauwe will also be taking part in a seminar on this topic at NIESSR on 31 March.

Find out more here.

The European Institute’s first decade

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the European Institute at LSE, Professor Nicholas Barr looks back at the set up, early years and expansion of the EI and the people involved, against a backdrop of change in Europe.

He writes: "As the 1980s turned into the 1990s, the EU was developing what would become the 1992 Maastricht Treaty (which, among other things, introduced European citizenship) and giving early consideration to whether, when and on what basis the reforming former-Communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe might become Member States. Against that backdrop, the School established the European Institute as a focus for colleagues across departments who worked on different aspects of Europe."

Read it in full here.

Brexit Article 16: Should the UK trigger protocol? Experts have their say

Professor Kevin Featherstone was interviewed by the Express, debating the triggering of Brexit Article 16.

"Professor Featherstone believes now is not the time “to stoke the fires of protest on the streets of Northern Ireland”. The academic added that as “more time passes” the clearer it is becoming that Theresa May’s Brexit plan - which she spent more than two years negotiating - would have been the “better choice” to move forward with."

Read the full article here.

Covid-19 has so far cost the world as much as $114-trillion — and counting

Dr. Orkun Saka's research on epidemics and political trust has recently been quoted by the Daily Maverick.

"In a report titled “The Scars of Covid”, Cevat Giray Aksoy, Barry Eichengreen and Orkun Saka warn: “Covid-19 is likely to accelerate long-term trends towards declining trust in public authorities. This scarring impact could prove particularly profound on young people in their ‘impressionable’ years.”"

Read the full article here.

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Why an ambitious directive on adequate minimum wages is the right approach in a time of inflation

Professor Paul De Grauwe has taken part in a webinar, organised by the European Trade Unions, discussing the need for an ambitious directive on adequate minimum wages in the current climate. Other participants included Esther Lynch, Deputy General Secretary at the ETUC, and Torsten Müller, Senior Researcher at the ETUI.

Find out more here.

Professor Nicholas Barr

The Nicholas Barr Fellow in European Political Economy

As part of the European Institute's 30th anniversary celebrations, we are delighted to be honouring one of the longest-serving members of the European Institute, Professor Nicholas Barr, with our new Nicholas Barr Fellow in European Political Economy.

Find out more about the Fellowship here.

Mr Lorenzo Codogno

The EU is facing many difficulties, but Brexit isn’t one of them

Professor Lorenzo Codogno has written a piece in The Guardian, looking at Brexit two years on.

He writes: "Nearly 52% of UK voters supported Brexit in the 2016 referendum. Nearly 100% of citizens elsewhere in the bloc were shocked by the result, and the first concern was that Brexit could mark the unravelling of the whole European project. That did not happen: indeed, quite the opposite."

Read the full article here.

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The Scars of Covid-19

OECD have published an op-ed co-authored by Visiting Fellow Dr. Orkun Saka in its Forum, summarising and discussing the implications of his research on the long-term “trust consequences” of the pandemic.

The op-ed can be read in full here.

The related research papers can be accessed here and here.

Reflections on the development of the European Institute at LSE

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of the European Institute at LSE, Professor Kevin Featherstone recounts the establishment of the European Institute, reviews its management structures and discusses its previous and ongoing cross-disciplinary research and teaching accomplishments.

He writes: "The European Institute has come a long way over its 30 years, and it deserves to celebrate its achievements. Its profile and reputation are much higher. Its intellectual coherence is reflected in its teaching and its student recruitment has been consolidated. Worthy of special mention is that its research has regularly been deemed outstanding."

Read it in full here.

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Tweeting terrorism: Vernacular conceptions of Muslims and terror in the wake of the Manchester Bombing on Twitter

Dr. Joseph Downing and Sarah Gerwins have co-authored a new article in Critical Studies on Terrorism, in which they analyse tweets posted after the 2017 Manchester bombing, exploring how terror attacks are constructed on social media.

They write: "Both vernacular security studies and critical terrorism studies (CTS) offer constructivist analyses of security couched in understandings of security speak. However, neither adequately take account of the ways in which social media presents important opportunities for greater insight into how terrorism is constructed."

Read the full article here.

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Flexible Europe: Differentiated Integration, Fairness, and Democracy

Dr Marta Lorimer has co-authored a new book, Flexible Europe: Differentiated Integration, Fairness, and Democracy. Written with Richard Bellamy and Sandra Kröger, Flexible Europe provides fresh thinking on the future of the EU, exploring the alternative of a flexible EU based on differentiated rather than uniform integration.

Listen to Dr Lorimer and her co-authors discussing the book on the New Books Network podcast here.

Learn about Flexible Europe here.

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Testifying to Violence Environmentally: Knowing, Sensing, Politicizing

Dr Eray Çaylı guest-edited the issue 'Testifying to Violence Environmentally: Knowing, Sensing, Politicizing' of the Journal of Visual Culture.

The issue puts a series of questions about the concepts of violence and environment and the changes in approaches to them: "What are the political possibilities and limitations of enlisting environments as authoritative witnesses to violence? What might the sensorial multiplicity associated with testifying to violence environmentally entail for both the primacy of the visual and its critique as a Eurocentrism? How do the truths produced through such testimony bear upon the various politically pragmatic ends it is expected to serve, such as verification, adjudication, resubjectivation, reparation and reconciliation?"