Far-right political parties have recently been on the rise throughout Western Europe while social democratic parties have experienced an electoral decline. By asking what the roots of the far-right’s success are, why social democratic parties have lost ground, and if these developments are related, this talk explores one of the most topical areas in contemporary European politics. How has partisan attachment to social democratic/ far-right parties developed over time? Which policy positions have led to electoral success/debacles for social democratic/far-right parties? Where are social democratic/far-right parties ideologically located relative to their partisans/voters? How do social democratic/far-right parties explain their gains/losses? Which voters do social democratic/far-right parties target? I argue that in those countries where social democracy is on decline, social democrats have lost more partisans and remaining partisans’ attachment to social democratic parties is also weaker due to structural causes such as the erosion of working-class milieus. As strongly attached partisans vote for parties no matter how big the policy distance between them and the party is, weaker ties between partisans and social democratic parties mean less ideological flexibility. This flexibility is necessary to catch non-partisan floating voters. Parties are dependent on these volatile voters, as no party can win an election based on their core electorate alone. Floating voters then get targeted by the far-right instead. Where social democracy has lost fewer partisans, it enjoys the flexibility of ideologically adapting to floating voters and leaves no room for the far-right. How well parties have understood this, also affects their fate.

Speaker
Mona Krewel, Senior Lecturer in Comparative Politics at Victoria University of Wellington (New Zealand), Director of the Internet, Social Media, and Politics Research Lab (ISPRL), Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Government, Cornell University

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Bartels World Affairs Lecture In this year's Bartels lecture from the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies, former president of Costa Rica Carlos Alvarado Quesada shares how conservation and sustainability are crucial for preserving democracy around the world. Costa Rica is one of the most biodiverse spots on the planet, with more than one-quarter of the nation's land protected in parks and preserves. As Costa Rica's leader from 2018 to 2022, Alvarado proposed a challenge for his country and the world: to make Costa Rica a decarbonized nation by 2050. During his visit to Cornell, Alvarado explores some of the questions that guided his administration: What roles do democracy and governance play in shaping environmental policies at the local, national, and global levels? And how can we meet the basic needs of the world’s ever-growing human population—equitably and democratically—without sacrificing the health of the planet and its other inhabitants? A reception with refreshments will follow the lecture. Lecture: 6:00–7:30 p.m. | Alice Statler AuditoriumReception: 7:30–8:30 p.m. | Park AtriumFree ticket required for in-person attendance. Reserve your ticket for the lecture and/or reception today! Join the lecture virtually by registering at eCornell. *** How did President Alvarado's policies protect Costa Rica's environment? Read a Bartels explainer by the Lab of O's Viviana Ruiz-Gutierrez. *** About Carlos Alvarado Quesada Carlos Alvarado Quesada was Costa Rica's 48th president, serving from 2018 until 2022. He was Costa Rica's youngest president in a century, taking office at age 38. Representing the Citizens' Action Party (PAC), Alvarado previously served as minister of labor and social security. Alvarado received the 2022 Planetary Leadership Award from the National Geographic Society for his commitment and action to protect the ocean. He accepted on behalf of his country the 2019 Champion of the Earth Award, the United Nations' highest environmental honor. A writer and political scientist, Alvarado is currently Professor of Practice of Diplomacy at Tufts University's Fletcher School in Massachusetts. *** About the Bartels World Affairs Lecture The Bartels World Affairs Lecture is a signature event of the Mario Einaudi Center for International Studies. Part of Einaudi's work on democratic threats and resilience, this year's lecture is cosponsored by Einaudi's Latin American and Caribbean Studies Program. The Einaudi Center’s flagship event brings distinguished international figures to campus each academic year to speak on global topics and meet with Cornell faculty and students, particularly undergraduates. The lecture and related events are made possible by the generosity of Henry E. Bartels ’48 and Nancy Horton Bartels ’48.

Meet the director of Cornell’s study abroad program in Paris and hear from returned students from Cornell's program in Paris, EDUCO. Learn about what EDUCO offers French majors, minors, and students of all disciplines. EDUCO helps you immerse yourself in France through university study in French alongside local students and with engaging classes, activities, and support offered through the EDUCO Center.