Elites in the Hot Seat: The Rise of Populism in Europe and the United States

While the Tea Party movement in the United States is decidedly different from the various anti-immigrant and nationalist political formations which have gained strength across Europe in recent years, they do share common characteristics. Having blossomed during the economic crisis, these movements question the ruling “elite” in Washington and Brussels, affirm the necessity of reasserting the people’s power, and pose a serious challenge to governance and the existing social contracts. Another similarity across both sides of the Atlantic is the notable absence of any left-wing version of populism, even in a time of social difficulties and record profits for banks and corporations.
 
On March 11, the Center on the United States and Europe at Brookings (CUSE) and the Heinrich Böll Foundation will host a discussion to assess the scope and meaning of the populist wave in the United States and Europe, and, more simply, to test the appropriateness of comparing transatlantic populisms. Panelists will include Brookings Senior Fellow William Galston and Pierre Hassner, research director emeritus at the Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques in Paris.
 
Senior Fellow Justin Vaïsse, CUSE director of research, will provide introductory remarks and moderate the discussion. After the presentations, panelists will take audience questions.
 
Introduction and Moderator
Justin Vaïsse, Senior Fellow and Director of Research, Center on the United States and Europe, The Brookings Institution
 
Panelists
William Galston, Senior Fellow, The Brookings Institution
Pierre Hassner, Research Director Emeritus, Fondation Nationale des Sciences Politiques
 
To RSVP for this event, please call the Office of Communica-tions at 202.797.6105 or click here