When the banal becomes political: The European Union in the age of populism

Abstract

The European Union is facing a new era of politicization. Populist parties across Europe have challenged its legitimacy and ever-expanding authority. While the European Union was designed to govern, rather than represent, that is nolongerenough. Today there is an urgent need to build a culture of healthy electoral contestation that does not shy away from debate over the very real transfer of political authority that is occurring. Upgrading norms about democratic contestation, rather than doubling down on technocracy, is the only way to generate a more robust European identity, adjudicate what kind of Europe its citizens want, and repair Europe’s frayed social solidarity.