Mattia Bottino
Participatory governance in megaprojects is intended to involve citizens in the decision-making processes and tackle their disaffection towards institutions. Mattia Bottino analyses the ‘proximity strategy’ used to realise the Brenner Basistunnel between Italy and Austria and contrasts it with the NO TAV experience in Italy’s Susa Valley Read more
Valentina Ausserladscheider
Across the globe, rar-right populism is on the rise. Its exclusionary nationalist nature poses a threat for liberal democracies. Taking Austria as a case study, Valentina Ausserladscheider explains the less obvious ways far-right populist nationalism can become deeply entangled with neoliberal economic policymaking Read more
Ben Seyd
Can policymakers expect people to comply with official health restrictions out of fear rather than because they trust the government? Ben Seyd suggests the answer is no. Governments still need trust to motivate citizens to comply with important collective rules. Read more
James F. Downes
To guard against vote loss, parties of the centre right are taking a tough stance on immigration. James F. Downes, Matthew Loveless and Andrew Lam argue that such parties risk bringing far-right ideology into the political mainstream, and undermining the very tenets of liberal democracy they profess to uphold Read more
Markus Wagner
In 2015, Austria took in almost 90,000 asylum seekers – the third-highest number in Europe that year. The government housed asylum seekers in areas with little experience in welcoming refugees. These areas subsequently saw a backlash against refugees in particular, and immigrants and Muslims in general, write Markus Wagner and Lukas Rudolph Read more
Marcus How
It is now a year since the Greens formed an unprecedented government coalition with the centre-right in Austria. There are lessons for Green parties elsewhere in Europe, writes Marcus How Read more
Irene Landini
The Austrian government's openly discriminatory policies against migrants have been invalidated by the Constitutional Court and challenged by the European Commission. But, argues Irene Landini, that has not ended ‘welfare chauvinism’ and social exclusion, either in Austria or elsewhere in Europe Read more
The Loop
Cutting-edge analysis showcasing the work of the political science discipline at its best.