Fide’s 2022 Oxford Congress on nationalism, populism and identities: contemporary challenges took place at Jesus College, Oxford from April 4th to April 6th. Under the direction of Christopher Muttukumaru and Cristina Jimenez, and the academic coordination of Victoria Dal Lago and Cristina Arribas, the congress successfully saw the presentation of the papers that the Working Groups organized by Fide to this end has been working on throughout the past few months.
These are:
CONSTITUTIONAL, LEGAL, OR GOVERNANCE QUESTIONS IN THE CONTEXT OF NATIONALISM
Focused on first, identifying the constitutional, legal, and governance features that are the target of populist critique, and secondly, analysing the challenges that populism poses to constitutional systems and the checks and balances that are required to mitigate those threats and, to the extent possible, mitigate populist constitutional crises
NATIONALISM IN THE CONTEXT OF THE COVID 19 PANDEMIC
The development of effective policies in the field of health by the EU is not only a necessity derived from the pandemic we are experiencing. It is also a challenge that can greatly help the construction not only of a common space in health, but also to stop criticism from nationalist and populist movements against the EU project. The democratic crisis and the risks for the future EU project are directly related to its social agenda and health is, among them, one of the most relevant for citizens. It can be concluded that moving towards an EU with a common framework in health is moving towards an EU with “good health”.
NATIONALISM, POPULISM, AND THE ECONOMY
Understanding why liberalism has failed to secure its dominance is key to successfully wage the battles ahead. The liberal order based on the principles of individual freedom, inclusive governance, property rights and free exchange, globalization and multilateralism, has proven beneficial to many but not to all.
- Sub-group 1: Globalisation and Populism (See TORs)
- Sub-group 2: The Future of the EU Project (See TORs)
- Sub-group 3: Populism and Inequality (See TORs)
The Congress also covered aspects of the impact of nationalist/ populist policies on the funding of South American pension schemes (where there have been unexpected calls on funds to deal with the effects of COVID-19), EU refugee externalisation policies, climate change issues (with specific reference to the outcome of the Conference of the Parties (COP) 26 in November 2021 in Glasgow), and misinformation and free speech in modern democratic societies.
The congress counted on numerous panel discussions and keynote speeches in which experts from across Europe, the US, LATAM and Asia partook. Together with the open interventions of the attendees to the congress, every panel saw a rich and plural debate. We thank everyone present (and online) for their invaluable insights and exchange of views in the many interesting topics analyzed.
In the next phase, the Working Groups and Panels continue to work to prepare and present their final conclusions and proposals papers, taking in all the feedback and work carried out during the discussion sessions in Oxford. We expect the final versions to be ready around mid-May, and an official presentation session will be organized for late May or early June. These documents will be sent to all participants as well as decision-makers, and institutions in Spain and worldwide.
We wish to extend our most sincere gratitude to all the professionals that have been key to the success of the congress. A special mention to the members of Fide’s International Academic Council who, from their respective locations around the globe have coordinated and directed their efforts to bring together all the members of the working groups and provide constructive support to all the working group leaders.
Finally, we’ve collected the opening statements from both directors. Find below the links to both documents in PDF available to read online and/or download.
Opening Statement by Cristina Jiménez
Opening Statement by Christopher Muttukumaru
We’ll see you all in May!
