Planning the “After-Party” – The Future of Political Parties in Europe

You can re-watch the entire event’s live-stream below:

There is still life in the old party “dogs”! So often we have heard that political parties as we know them will cease to exist – likely to be replaced by grassroot “movements“ or independent candidates – or their future in jeopardy due to the emergence of online real-time voting. But the facts speak a different language. Mainstream political parties have remained the main actors in the political systems, and there is no sign of them disappearing any time soon. Admittedly, there are several flaws and shortcomings within political parties, for some more than others, and thus there is no reason to be overly self-confident or assume that their continuity in their current form is guaranteed. But political parties are surprisingly resilient. So, why is this?

Have we underestimated their critical role of stabilising democracies? Are modern communication and campaigning methods as efficient and essential as we believe? Are a clear ideology and democratic leadership crucial factors for the success of democratic states? What are the contributions of European parties in particular, and finally, how can we improve the interaction and cooperation between national and European parties?