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

📢 Call for Papers is now open! 📝 Submit your paper or panel proposal by 31 October 2025! 👉 Visit our website for more information: www.pledgeproject.eu/call-for-pap... #democracy #EU #PLEDGE #grievances #politics #governance #CallForPapers

Joy is short-lived—but it forms lasting memories and can be deeply social. We explore how joy strengthens group identity and brings people together in moments of political meaning. 🧪 Learn why joy matters for democracy: mores-horizon.eu/glossary/joy #MORESresearch #Emotions #Society #HorizonEU

How can collective emotions -and cardboard- fuel democracy under the strain of war? 👉 Read the full blogpost here: www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-... #Ukraine #CardboardRevolution #Democracy #PoliticalEmotions #CivicEngagement #PLEDGE #EU

🌍🤝 PLEDGE consortium members were present at the #ECPR conference in Thessaloniki 🇬🇷 (26 – 29 August 2025), engaging in key debates on democracy, governance & grievance politics. 💬✨ Stay tuned — more posts & insights coming soon!!! #democracy #EU

Georgia, on the Eastern flank of Europe, shows how deeply grievance politics can shift a nation’s trajectory. 🔗 This New York Times article takes an in-depth & personal look at this dramatic transformation: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/20/m... #Democracy #EU #Autocracy #Europe #grievance

🔎 How is resentment marketed in today’s political landscape—and what does it mean for democracy? Our -own- Steering Committee Chair, Mikko Salmela, joins the discussion alongside other experts. 📖 Read the Eurozine article and watch the attached video: www.eurozine.com/marketing-re...

🌍 Emotions drive action—but not always equally. 💡 PLEDGE shows: shared feelings fuel 🌱 climate protests, but not 🛂 immigration ones. ✨ Context matters for civic engagement! 👉 Read more: www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-... #Democracy #CivicEngagement #EU

😤Is this what democracy should feel like? 💔Is our modern Idemocracy shaped more by emotions than by ideals. 🔗Find out more by following the link: www.pledgeproject.eu/an-overview-... #democracyincrisis #affectivepolitics #PLEDGEproject #populism #polarization #democracy

📢 New Blog Alert! How is the far-right thriving in today’s social media age? 📝 Read PLEDGE Blog Post #4 🔗https://www.pledgeproject.eu/pledge-blog-post-4-by-ulund-team-far-right-politics-in-the-age-of-social-media-where-grievance-meets-entertainment/ #PLEDGEproject #FarRight #SocialMediaPolitics

🧠How can we design democratic processes that truly feel public? 📘 Read the full report here: 🔗https://www.pledgeproject.eu/report-on-design-principles-for-emotion-sensitive-policy-making-wp6-pledge-project-on-zenodo/ #PLEDGEproject #PolicyDesign #democracy

🗣️On Ressentiment, Victimhood, and Revanchism How is populism in Turkey shaped? (📌This endeavor, delivered by Ayhan Kaya, Senior Researcher from the Istanbul Bilgi University and member of our Steering Committee, is available only in Turkish.) 👉Read more: www.yeniarayis.com/yazi/ressent...

Our sister project is running an impactful EU-wide survey, “Emotions in Politics,” examining how emotions shape public opinion on critical EU topics. 🔗 Take the survey now and contribute your perspective: 👉 crowdsourcing.ecas.org/en/Mores