Crisis Politics in Southern Europe

The political landscape of Southern Europe has been profoundly reshaped by successive economic and social shocks since the late 2000s. The severe economic downturn triggered by the Great Recession and compounded by sovereign‐debt crises gave rise to stringent austerity measures, widespread public protests and a growing distrust in traditional political actors. These developments have contributed to the fragmentation of party systems, the electoral rise of populist and radical movements and the formation of novel coalition arrangements, often bridging centre‐right and left‐wing factions. The interplay between national policymaking and supranational governance structures has underscored tensions over monetary union rules, fiscal bailout conditions and democratic legitimacy. More recently, the Covid‐19 pandemic has added further complexity, testing the resilience of social‐welfare systems and prompting redistributive policy debates. The study of crisis politics in this region thus offers critical insights into democratic adaptation under economic stress, the dynamics of party realignment and the evolving relationship between citizen demands and institutional response across Europe.

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Crisis Politics in Southern Europe publication trend

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Technical terms

Austerity: A set of fiscal policies aimed at reducing public budget deficits through spending cuts and tax increases, often implemented during economic crises.

Populism: A political approach that appeals to the perceived interests and prejudices of ‘ordinary people’ against established elites and institutions.

Party system fragmentation: The breakdown of traditional party alignments leading to an increased number of political parties and more fluid voter allegiances.

Coalition governance: The formation of a joint government by two or more political parties that must negotiate policies and ministerial portfolios to secure a legislative majority.

Monetary union: A group of countries sharing a common currency and central bank, which imposes uniform monetary policy but retains national responsibility for fiscal decisions.

References

1. The Silent Electoral Earthquake in Cyprus: A Crisis of Political Representation. South European Society & Politics (2021).
2. Left-Wing Governmental Alliance in Portugal, 2015-2019: A Way of Renewing and Rejuvenating Social Democracy?*. Brazilian Political Science Review (2021).
3. The conundrum of Greece and the Eurozone: Puzzles, paradoxes and contradictions. Panoeconomicus (2016).