Contentious politics and democratic renewal in sustainability transitions (Trans4Demo)
Pluralist liberal democracy is under pressure in many European member states. Right-wing populists are achieving electoral success with slogans that are anti-European and directed against migration and sustainability. But supporters of an ambitious climate policy are also dissatisfied with the results of climate policy. Although there are many ambitious targets, the measures taken are often not enough to achieve the goals. This has led to various reactions in recent years: on the one hand, there has been an increase in extra-parliamentary protests and, on the other, legal action has been taken to “force” governments or companies to do more to protect the climate.
The Trans4Demo project examines this double challenge for liberal parliamentary democracy. The aim is to better understand the various protest reactions and to show how they affect socially just transition processes. Political conflicts and resistance are examined in country case studies that shed light on their causes and their consequences for sustainability transformations and liberal democratic practices. The analysis also aims to show what motivates or inhibits civil society actors and citizens to bring their concerns into the institutionalized democratic order. Newer methods of democratic participation (such as citizens' councils or children's rights panels) are also examined as a supplement to parliamentary democracy.
