Governance(s), Pluralism(s) & Trans-Nationalisation(s) in Europe- Research Project 2016- 2021

The research consortium focuses on the transformation of the political function of democracy in relation to the concepts as well as the practices determining the governance, the pluralization, and the trans-nationalisation agendas within Europe. The aim is to contextually explore and critically assess the contemporary trends in policy decision-making and their effects both at a European and domestic level in respect to: a) The executive, legislative and judiciary process (Governance); b) The organizing and restructuring of the developing social heterogeneity (Pluralism); c) The economic political and social inter-dependency between the European nation-states and the process of their normative integration (Trans-Nationalisation). The thematic research question to be addressed critically is whether these dynamic processes are consistent with the liberal democracy framework and the social justice and peace value system, which have institutionally formed the core features of the political operation of the European Union and the member states, or not.

The research consortium defines as its central research frame the notion of interdisciplinarity. Focusing on the links between Law, Politics and Humanities, but also aiming at crossing their boundaries and thinking across them, the project will combine the following research fields: a) public law, constitutional law, and human rights; b) contemporary history and sociology; c) philosophy and religious studies, and d) political science and political ethics. The aim is to assign and supervise a number of doctoral students coming from different scientific backgrounds, who will develop their PhD theses on the basis of the critical epistemology conceptual framework and via making use of innovative analytical tools from other disciplines as well.

The process of setting the research agenda of the prospective PhDs, as well as the methodological synthesis for elaborating the material (i.e. combining historical criticism with discourse theory and an empirical analysis) will be based on the topic, the potential scientific contribution, as well as the prospective dissemination of the research output. To this end, the composition of the supervisory committee has a clear interdisciplinary character. In particular, while the members of University of Luxembourg as well as its international partners have diverse scientific perspectives and contribute on variant research fields, they all share the critical epistemological paradigm in examining the social developments within the European Union, and they accept the key-role of Governance, Pluralism and Trans-Nationalism for the building and crystallization of the European political identity.

For more information: Philippe Poirier & Johan Van der Walt