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How can democracy and the electoral systems be protected against populism?

Professor of Philosophy of Law Josep Lluís Martí is the principal investigator of the research project at UPF, which will help to analyse the various mechanisms that strengthen citizen participation. UPF is part of a consortium of nine European universities, coordinated by Sciences Po in Paris.

10.01.2020

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Reconstructing Democracy in Times of Crisis: a Voter-Centred Perspective” (REDEM) is the title of the research project to be carried out by a consortium of nine European universities, including Pompeu Fabra. Josep Lluís Martí, a tenured lecturer of Philosophy of Law with the Department of Law, is its principal investigator at UPF.

The research project, within the framework of the European Commission’s Horizon 2020 programme, in its societal challenges line (governance section), is based on a perspective that focuses on voters, that understands their motivations and attitudes and that obtains the best of each citizen. Its main objective is to study how electoral systems can be reformed to protect democracies against populism.

The project is based on a perspective that focuses on voters, that understands their motivations and attitudes.

“The project arises from our concern about the situation of advanced democracies and our electoral systems faced with certain phenomena, especially the growing political disaffection and apathy of citizens and the growth of populism and extreme right-wing forces”, says Josep Lluís Martí.

To improve turnout at European level

The Philosophy of Law professor explains the work to be carried out by UPF as part of this project, for which the University has received funding of 145,000 euros: “My research group will contribute in various ways, but most importantly, we will study the different existing mechanisms to strengthen citizen participation and improve its quality, ranging from training to incentives”, he says.

The research to be led at the University by Josep Lluís Martí will analyse the intersection between elections and local, national and Europe-wide  participation. It will focus particularly on the relationship between all these levels of government, and especially on how to improve participation at European level.

Nine leading universities in the field of research into democratic theory

The consortium of universities that is to carry out the project, which began on 1 December 2019 and will continue until 30 November 2022 (three years), is coordinated by Sciences Po in Paris, and participating in addition to UPF are Goethe University Frankfurt and the universities of Geneva, Stockholm, Genoa, Aarhus, Leiden and Bucharest. “The project has brought together a consortium of some of Europe’s most important research groups in democratic theory”, Josep Lluís Martí notes.

One thing that drives the initiative is the fact that low turnout and the results of elections seem to have questioned the ability of elections to legitimize institutions and policies in Europe. Many voters, even in national elections, are attracted by parties and platforms whose interests go against the democratic premises of freedom and equality.

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