(Photo: Italian students in the courtyard of the Louise Weiss building in Strasbourg. @European Parliament/Pietro Naj-Oleari/Flickr)

What is the future for political parties in Europe?

31st March 2010 2pm - 5.30pm London Metropolitan University, 31 Jewry Street London EC3N 2EY Part of the European Alternatives ‘Future of Representation’ Series, in partnership with the Federal Trust and supported by the European Parliament. Political parties are undergoing a crisis of membership in many European countries, including in particular the UK, just at the time when European political parties are trying to establish themselves. 50 years ago, 1 in 8 people was a member of a political party. Today the figure is more like 1 in 100. Yet parties still seem to be crucial components of a functioning democracy. What is the future for political parties in Europe? Can European political parties seize the chance to define a new kind of party that is better suited to contemporary forms of political engagement, which often take place outside of ‘formal’ political institutions, and what new means of participation can they define? How can these new forms of participation avoid forms of exclusion associated with the national paradigm, in particular with regards to migrants? 2.15 – 3.45pm Table 1: European political parties: their evolution, their problems and their potential In what ways have European political parties developed since the beginning of the EU, and what new opportunities does the Lisbon Treaty give to them to become more important public players in European politics? Speakers: Henning Meyer (Global Policy Institute and Social Europe Journal) Andrew Duff MEP 4pm – 5.30pm Table 2: The parties and the people: addressing the ‘democratic deficit in Europe’ The ‘democratic deficit’ is the most frequent allegation made against the European Union. To what extent can traditional forms of politics through political parties address this deficit, and to what extent must new forms of citizens’ participation be found? How do the ‘top down’ and ‘bottom up’ agendas combine? The situation regarding migrant rights in Europe is increasingly urgent, and yet migrants in multiple ways often lack forms of political representation given to citizens (whether they be national or European citizens). In what ways can European Political parties innovate in this regard? Speakers: Brendan Donnelly, Federal Trust, John Palmer, Former Europe Editor of the Guardian Seble Woldeghioeghis, coordinator of March 1st migrant strike in Italy Jean Lambert MEP (tbc).