How do emotions shape political action? In this first #HEPPtalk Kanerva Kuokkanen from UH Team explores the concept of emotional governance & the close relationship between emotions and political participation. 🎥Watch the whole interview from the HEPP Conference: youtu.be/elgomloP3g8?... #PLEDGE

Populist radical right support is not only about policies-it is also about emotions, belonging and the search for someone to blame. Read the new blog post by the FUB team: 🔗 tinyurl.com/4mrmswvv ✍️Yi-Ping Lin & Christian von Scheve

📢Save the Date | #PLEDGE Stakeholder #OnlineEvent From Grievance to Governance: Turning Democratic Friction into Democratic Repair 🗓️24/06/2026 🕙10:00-11:30 (CET) Don't miss out! Register now: ➡️https://forms.gle/MXhBfyy8EpS6UCq19

As societies become more fragmented and polarised, the question is shifting: not only how newcomers integrate, but how communities maintain connection, trust & cohesion. Read the full article by Bilgi team: 🔗https://shorturl.at/qbl1I

How do different understandings of victimhood shape democratic responses to social problems? 🎥Watch the full video by the Centre for Social Sciences, ELTE Budapest & Gabriella Szabo. #PLEDGEProject #Democracy

What happens when migration becomes a political battlefield? And how do fear and uncertainty shape the way societies perceive refugees? 📢New research article #21 by PMBSNU team, developed within the framework of the #PLEDGEProject: www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-...

🗞️The 4th #PLEDGE Newsletter is out now! Curious about what we’ve been working on? In this edition, we share: 🔹Recent progress 🔹Key insights from our work 🔹Previous events 🔹Publications 🔹Upcoming project activities 👉Read the newsletter here: www.pledgeproject.eu/category/new...

How do emotions shape political polarization? 🧠In this interview, Professor Demertzis from NKUA team explains how the PLEDGE project examines the emotional politics of grievance & democratic governance. ➡️ Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel: youtu.be/R8VhA5uCXkU #PLEDGEProject #Grievance

Who is shaping our perception of migration? Spain’s case showed something bigger than a migration policy debate. It showed how easily fear can be amplified online. Watch the full video by @uv.es team ➡️https://youtu.be/EWiy4fKZ0PM #PLEDGEProject #Grievancepolitics #immigration

📢Only 2 days left until the HEPP6 Conference! Organized in collaboration with the PLEDGE Project, the Conference will bring together researchers, experts & professionals from across Europe. 🔗https://www.helsinki.fi/en/conferences/emotions-populism-and-polarised-politics-media-and-culture/call-papers

What does the recent #elections in #Hungary teach us about how blame narratives influence democratic processes in the digital era? 📢 New blog post #20 by CSS team. 🔗https://www.pledgeproject.eu/blame-won-the-election-guilt-assignment-in-hungarys-democratic-turning-point/ ✍️Gabriella Szabo

📰Press Release #2 is now live! How do emotions shape political polarisation, identities and public discourse? 🔗https://www.pledgeproject.eu/press-release-2-new-insights-on-emotions-and-political-polarisation-to-be-presented-at-international-hepp6-conference/ #PLEDGEProject #Democracy

As local #election results come in across #England the work of #PLEDGE feels more relevant than ever. 🔗https://www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-post-19-by-soton-team-when-the-pledge-feels-broken-the-political-psychology-of-grievance-at-the-local-ballot-box-in-england/ ✍️Tereza Capelos

🤔How can a democratic system defend itself without undermining its own principles? 📢New blog post #18 by NKUA is now live! 🔗 www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-... #PLEDGEProject #Democracy #GrievancePolitics

💡Can solidarity last when a crisis becomes a long-term reality? In this short video, Iris explains how public opinion is becoming more divided-and why support, in some contexts, is starting to feel conditional. #PLEDGEProject #Democracy #GrievancePolitics

📢Blog Post #17 is now live. The Swedish case shows how grievance can harden into an anti‑democratic force rather than a pro-democratic one. 🔗https://www.pledgeproject.eu/grievance-algorithmic-capitalism-and-the-libidinal-economy-of-power/ #PLEDGEProject #Democracy #GrievancePolitics

📢 Blog Post #16, by Nicolas Demertzis, is now live! When scandals dominate the headlines, are we seeking justice—or the satisfaction of seeing the powerful fall? 🔗 bitly.cx/db2Kx #PLEDGEProject #GrievancePolitics #Democracy #Schadenfreude

📢 Blog Post #15, by VUB Team, is now live! What looks like individual hostility often reflects deeper dynamics of frustration, perceived injustice, and emotional displacement. 🔗 www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-... #PLEDGEProject #Democracy #sexism #harassment

Clear concepts matter. The #PROTEMOGlossary defines key terms of our research—so we are all on the same page 📄 when exploring the emotional dimensions of protective policies. 📖 Explore the full glossary here: www.protemo.eu/outputs/glos... #PROTEMO #EUResearch #Democracy

📢 New PLEDGE blog post #14 by KCL team Solidarity in Latvia is strong. But beneath it, perceptions of deservingness are reshaping who is seen as belonging. The picture may seem distorted — but it reveals something real. 🔗 www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-...

Big news from the PLEDGE family 📚 Our Pledger Ayhan Kaya (Istanbul Bilgi University) just published his open-access new book: “Migration and the Politics of Integration” Not just relevant. Essential. 🔗 Read more: www.pledgeproject.eu/category/pub... #Integration #PLEDGEProject

PLEDGE, PROTEMO, MORES, and CIDAPE invite you to join our Online Colloquium on Emotions and Democracy 🎯 on 27 March. This session explores how “cringe” communication 😬 is evolving into a powerful political tool. Join here 🔗: www.pledgeproject.eu/join-our-onl... #PLEDGEProject #EU #cringe

People don’t just think — they feel their opinions. Across Europe: ⚠️ War fatigue is rising ⚠️ Misinformation is spreading ⚠️ Support isn’t as stable as it seems Read the full report: 🔗 www.pledgeproject.eu/survey-repor... #PLEDGE #Democracy #Ukraine

🎥 In this short video, Chris reflects on why understanding citizens’ emotions is essential for rebuilding trust and strengthening democratic governance. #PLEDGEProject #Democracy #GrievancePolitics #CivicEngagement 🤝

📢 New PLEDGE blog post #13 by IPU Berlin team. How can policymakers listen to emotions without reinforcing polarization? Read the latest insights from the PLEDGE research. 🔗 www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-... #PLEDGEProject #Democracy #Polarization

Immersion is not neutral. #PLEDGE Blogpost #12 shows how VR becomes a medium for grievance politics, turning victimhood, heroism & ressentiment into lived experience. Storyliving → affective bonding → political meaning 🔗 bitly.cx/LkY81 #VirtualReality #GrievancePolitics #PoliticalEmotions #EU

Short videos are reshaping political exposure in Europe. Our new study on the #EuropeanElections2024 shows how algorithmic feeds structure visibility, grievances & political content across ideological pathways. Algorithms → emotional content → democratic resilience 🔗 bitly.cx/0mLs #PLEDGE #eu

Ressentiment as a political resource. Our new article shows how Erdoğan reframes collective victimhood into moral triumph — turning shared emotions into durable political loyalty. Victimhood → affective bonding → authoritarian resilience ❌ 🔗 bitly.cx/6QJK #PLEDGE #GrievancePolitics #Populism

Grievance can become a pathway to radicalisation. #PLEDGE Blogpost #5 explores how humiliation, exclusion & status loss shape the emotional tipping points towards democratic disavowal — or belonging. 🔗 bitly.cx/o85Qe #GrievancePolitics #Democracy #EU

Emotions are not side effects of politics. They shape it. In #4 of the Grievance Politics Briefings🤝, we explore how humiliation, frustration and powerless anger redefine how citizens relate to democracy. - Read more: www.pledgeproject.eu/4-emotion-se... #PLEDGE #GrievancePolitics #Democracy

📘 PLEDGE Policy Brief #2 is out Emotions are shaping democratic trust in times of polycrisis. 🔗 Read the Policy Brief: mailchi.mp/d89cbd495989... #PLEDGEproject #PolicyBrief #DemocraticGovernance #Research #GrievancePolitics #EU

In our latest blogpost #11 by Prof. Tereza Capelos, we argue that grievance politics grows when policies ignore how people feel. ⚖️Emotionally attuned co-production is essential for rebuilding trust and democratic resilience in times of crisis. 🧠Read more: www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-...

Unhappiness doesn’t silence citizens. It mobilises them. 🔥🗣️ When grievance circulates, politics follows. Read more: www.pledgeproject.eu/unhappiness-... #GrievancePolitics #PoliticalEmotions #Democracy #CivicEngagement #Unhappiness #PoliticalParticipation

- Myriad tractors 🚜 running on burning emotion, not fuel 🔥. This isn’t just about agriculture or policy tweaks. It’s a masterclass in how grievance, identity, and storytelling turn protest into political pressure.

🔍In this expert interview, Professor Tereza Capelos unpacks how grievance functions as an emotional anchor shaping political behaviour. ▶️ Watch the full interview on our YouTube channel or via the link: www.youtube.com/watch?v=cO5p... #GrievancePolitics #Populism #Democracy #PoliticalPsychology

Politics stops solving problems. Then it starts blaming people. In our new clip, Dr. Gabriella Szabo unpacks how blame and emotional manipulation fuel grievance politics and polarisation. 👉 Watch and reflect: www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOOK...

In Part II 🔥 of PLEDGE's Blog Post: Youth Radicalism in Europe, Ayhan Kaya unpacks how nativist and Muslim-origin youth are co-radicalised by shared experiences of precarity, marginalisation, and political neglect. Read more: www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-... #Democracy #grievances #extremism

Reporting live from Athens 🇬🇷, the first day of PLEDGE’s meeting kicked off a couple of hours ago. The consortium is already knee-deep in discussions, agendas, and mildly heroic levels of coffee ☕. More updates will follow as the sessions unfold and the real work begins 🔎✨. #PLEDGE #DEMOCRACY #EU

PLEDGE invites everyone to the book launch of "The Birth and Death of Liberal Democracy in Hungary" on 8 December 2025. The event will explore how polarisation has reshaped democratic life, with insights from Emilia Palonen and international experts. Participation is available online. 📚✨

Our workshop “From Understanding to Action: Co-Creating Democratic Innovation with CSOs” was a great success!!! 🎉 🙌A big thank you to all civil society practitioners, partners and contributors who shared their insights and experiences. #PLEDGE #GrievancePolitics #Innovation

🎥 New PLEDGE fieldwork insight 🧠Pasko’s video shows how small cracks in daily life turn into polarization, distrust and emotional pressure points. PLEDGE works to decode these mechanisms and turn them into tools for smarter, emotionally aware democratic governance. #PLEDGE #Grievances #democracy

📢 Are you a CSO or NGO representative interested in strengthening democratic innovation? Secure your position by registering, via www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-invit... #PLEDGEproject #Workshop #Democracy #EU

Across Europe, young people are searching for belonging in divided societies. Some turn to nationalism, others to religion — but both paths reveal a deeper crisis of meaning and connection. Read PLEDGE Blog post #9 👉 www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-... #PLEDGE #democracy #radicalisation

🌀 PLEDGE Blog #8 When crisis hits, emotions become the jet fuel of our information ecosystem. 📖 Read more: www.pledgeproject.eu/fear-anger-a... #PLEDGE #Disinformation #ClimateCrisis #MediaLiteracy #EmotionsInPolitics

📣 Join us for two keynote lectures as part of the symposium “Historicizing Populism: From the Classics to the Contemporary”, hosted by the University of Helsinki within the PLEDGE Project. 💻 Watch live: video.helsinki.fi/unitube/live... #PLEDGE #Populism #Democracy #PoliticalScience #PublicTalks

🌍 When was the last time you were trained by three top-notch EU projects simultaneously? 👉 Learn more: www.pledgeproject.eu/joint-worksh... 🎟 Register now via the link or QR code and be part of this collaborative discussion! #PolicyMaking #ResearchToPolicy #PLEDGE #PolicyInnovation

🎧 “Life is Crap” — Hungary’s viral anthem — turns youth frustration into protest. When music meets grievance politics, pain becomes power and despair becomes solidarity. 💥🇭🇺 Listen here 👉https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BS2xr9mxD0s #PLEDGEProject #GrievancePolitics #YouthVoices #CulturalResistance

In the latest PLEDGE blog from the UNIWARSAW team, we explore how debates around gender justice often devolve into zero-sum battles over who has more suffering — fueling resentment and polarization. 🔗 Read more: www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-... #democracy #EU #grievance #Politics

🌍PLEDGE’s work is more relevant than ever, as Starmer condemns Farage’s “politics of grievance”. ➡️Read the full article and see the relevant video here: www.bbc.com/news/article... #PLEDGE #Democracy

In today’s hyper-competitive world, people dismiss what they couldn’t achieve as “undesirable” while recasting themselves as righteous victims. 👉 Discover more here: www.pledgeproject.eu/the-sour-gra... #GrievancePolitics #SourGrapesEffect #Democracy #EU