Final Conference 2016
The LIVEWHAT Final Conference took place in Brussels on Thursday 24 November 2016.
This public event brought together members of the LIVEWHAT Consortium,
external scholars and policy-makers with the aim to present and discuss
the main project findings and offer both a scholarly and policy-oriented
perspective on how citizens react to economic crises fueling public
debate.
The LIVEWHAT documentary film “Citizens and the Crisis” was
screened during the conference, followed by a discussion with the
audience. Drawing on the LIVEWHAT findings, the documentary film
showcases the social and political consequences of the 2008 economic
crisis and the responses of citizens in each of the nine countries
studied by the LIVEWHAT project: France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Poland,
Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, and the UK.
During the conference’s workings, two interactive discussion groupswith academics, national policy-makers, and civil society organizations were organized in the form of panel discussions. The first panel focused on the theme of ‘Economic Crisis and the Rise of Populisms’, shedding light on the complex interactions between economic crisis and the rise of populism in Europe today.
This panel addressed the ways in which the 2008 economic crisis turmoil
has been connected with the rise of populist political movements and
parties in several European countries. Panelists discussed how
deprivation, economic hardship, and labor market problems such as a rise
in unemployment and other personal and social consequences of the
economic crisis have been found to favor vote for extreme-populist
parties and participation in populist movements.
The second panel discussed the theme of ‘Social Policies in Times of
Crisis – Who Carries Burdens, Who Gets Protection?’, delving into the
implications of the recent economic crisis for social policy and
vulnerable groups who are major recipients of social programs.
This panel offered reflections on the social issues Europe faces as the
result of the recent economic crisis and the curtailment of social
programs in several countries. The panelists stressed that the
distribution of the ‘pain’ now associated with the crisis is
differentiated among countries, reflecting existing political and
economic conditions and welfare state types.
Overall, panel members shared facts, commented on LIVEWHAT findings, offered opinions and responded to audience questions.
