What difference does populism make in elections? The making of European governments and implications for Australia

Electoral Regulation Research Network Seminar

Tuesday 15 August 2017

Speakers:

  • Professor Philomena B Murray
  • Adjunct Professor Paul Soyez
  • Dr Zim Nwokora

About the Seminar:

Since the beginning of last year, one in five Europeans has voted for a populist party. Deep-seated concerns about the impact on the making of governments – and Presidents – appear to have been allayed for now. Brexit is regarded as a victory for populists in the UK yet Britain is deeply divided. Is populism on the wane? What difference does populism make in elections and afterwards? And what might this mean for Australia? This panel will discuss these issues.

This seminar was jointly hosted by the Electoral Regulation Research Network and the EU Centre on Shared Complex Challenges.

Zim Nwokora, Paul Soyez and Philomena B Murray

About the Speakers:

Philomena Murray is Professor in the School of Social and Political Sciences at the University of Melbourne and Research Director on Regional Governance in the EU Centre on Shared Complex Challenges. She holds Australia’s only Personal Jean Monnet Chair. She holds honorary positions at Trinity College Dublin; College of Europe, Bruges and United Nations University Centre for Comparative Regional Integration Studies, Bruges.
Her research interests include challenges to EU legitimacy and Australia’s relations with the EU. She is co-author with Michael Longo of Europe’s Legitimacy Crisis: From Causes to Solutions and several publications on Australia and the EU.

Paul Soyez is PhD candidate in cotutelle between the University of Melbourne and the Paris-Sorbonne University. His research analyses the renewal of the French-Australian bilateral relationship since the end of the Cold War. Paul Soyez is a regular contributor to the Australian Strategic Policy Institute’s Strategist. Paul has lectured History and International Relations at Sciences Po Paris and the Sorbonne. He is "Professeur agrégé" in History in France.

Zim Nwokora is a Lecturer in Politics and Policy Studies at Deakin University, where he teaches courses on Political Competition, Governance and Accountability, and US Government and Politics. His research has investigated political parties, political competition, and public policy in Australia, Africa and the United States, and has appeared in outlets such as The Australian Journal of Political Science, Party Politics, and Political Studies.