Civic and Political participation in Southern Europe in the era of the current economic crisis Marios Vryonides European University Cyprus 2012 LLAKES Conference 18 & 19 October, Senate House, University of London

Contents Introduction Theoretical framework The current economic crisis Civic and Political Participation and Social Trust Methodology and variables used European Social Survey Results- Findings Conclusions

Introduction The current economic crisis has severely hit most Southern European countries. The effects of this unparalleled economic recession, evident in several aspects of the social, economic, political and civic lives of individuals, social groups and communities have had clear negative effects on social cohesion and solidarity. Using data from the European Social Survey and specifically from Rounds 3, 4 and 5 (2006, 2008 and 2010) we will trace how political trust, civic and political participation has evolved in four European countries (Portugal, Spain, Greece and Cyprus) since 2006 (before the crisis) and during the current economic crisis (2008 and 2010/11).

The current economic crisis A central concern both within the academic literature and for policy makers has been the impact of adverse economic conditions on social integration and social cohesion. Indeed this is frequently at the centre of political discourse all over Europe. Central to social cohesion, is the implications of the experience of economic recession for people’s satisfaction with the state of democracy, the way their governments work (often associated with the ways the manage financial affairs) and of course their satisfaction with the state of the economy in their country.

…/ In an environment where the quality of life is being constantly lowered, trust in social and political institutions are bound to be affected. Social trust is widely regarded as being an extremely important (individual and) social property. Social trust here is seen regarded as a property of social systems which for Putnum is an element of healthy civic societies. According to this view the study of social trust should be examined in relation to societies’ central social and political institutions. Trust as an important element of social relations increases the chances of having social solidarity and cohesion.

Research question Focusing on four countries of Southern Europe most severely affected by the current economic crisis we will examine: How has people’s level of satisfaction with the economy, politicians, and democracy changed since 2006? What were the effects on social trust? Has people’s pattern of political participation/ behaviour change during the past six years?

Methods In order to seek answers to the above questions data were obtained from the European Social Survey (Rounds 3, 4 & 5). The European Social Survey (ESS) is an academically- driven cross-sectional social survey designed to chart and explain the interaction between Europe's changing institutions and the attitudes, beliefs and behaviour patterns of its diverse populations. It is funded by the European Commission’s Framework Programs, the European Science Foundation and national funding bodies in each country.

The ESS questionnaire Issues covered in the questionnaire include trust in public institutions; political participation; socio-political orientations; social exclusion; ethnic and religious allegiances; social capital; health and well-being. A supplementary questionnaire designed to evaluate the validity and reliability of the items in the main survey is used.

The sample The sample across Europe for each round consists of around individuals representative of all persons aged 15 and over (no upper age limit). Data are collected from residents in around 30 countries, regardless of their nationality, citizenship, language or legal status. Of them 45,4% are male and 54,6% are female.

The variables used in the analysis Satisfaction with the present state of economy in country, national government the way democracy works in country A scale 0-10 is used ranging from “Extremely Dissatisfied” to “Extremely Satisfied”.

From the questionnaire…

Social Trust Social trust in [country’s] social and political institutions. Trust in country's parliament Trust in the legal system Trust in the police Trust in politicians Trust in political parties Trust in the European Parliament A scale 0-10 is used ranging from “No trust at all” to “Complete trust”.

Item in ESS questionnaire …

Civic/ political engagement A battery of items is being used which include: Contacted politician or government official last 12 months Worked in political party or action group last 12 months Worked in another organization or association last 12 months Worn or displayed campaign badge/sticker last 12 months Signed petition last 12 months Taken part in lawful public demonstration last 12 months

In the questionnaire…

Analysis Data from the ESS database were retrieved and analyzed and are presented in two ways: Comparatively for the four Southern European countries for 2010/11 Individually for each country for 2006, 2008 and 2010/11

Level of satisfaction: Comparative analysis

Social Trust: Comparative analysis

Political/ civic engagement: Comparative analysis

Satisfaction-Greece

Satisfaction-Portugal

Satisfaction-Spain

Satisfaction-Cyprus

Trust - Greece

Trust - Portugal

Trust - Spain

Trust - Cyprus

Participation - Greece

Participation - Portugal

Participation - Spain

Participation - Cyprus

Discussion The current economic crisis has brought about severe changes in the social grid of the societies in Southern Europe. One might say that it was to be expected that the levels of satisfaction for the economy and the way politicians dealt with it have dropped significantly over the past six years. The fact that the level of trust in key social and political institutions has been diminishing is bound to have serious negative consequences for Southern European countries and possibly for Europe as a whole. Political and civic participation is changing BUT this is not the whole picture. Let’s examine that last two points in more detail.

Social trust and political trust Earlier it was mentioned that Putnam suggests that the existence of high social trust in societies increases the civic element in these societies. It is in fact the very essence of democracy in the way it has evolved in Europe over the past century. The fact that these institutions appear to loose out in people’s trust could lead to instances such as the example of Golden Dawn in Greece.

The example of Greece and Golden Dawn Golden Dawn is a right-wing extremist political organization in Greece. Scholars and media describe it as neo-Nazi and fascist, although the group identifies itself as nationalist and racist. The party ran a campaign during the Greek national elections of 2012 based on concerns for unemployment, austerity and the economy, as well as virulent anti-immigration rhetoric, which gained a large increase in support from the Greek electorate. It received seven percent of the popular vote, enough for the party to enter the Hellenic Parliament with 18 seats.

Civic and political participation Data from the ESS show that in the four countries under examination the pattern of political behaviour among its population has changed. It is noticeable for example that in Greece participation in public demonstrations has doubled in the past six years. The Spanish appear on the whole to be the most active in civic engagement and political participation while the Portuguese and the Cypriots appear to be less active. What these data do not present and it is possible one of the limitations of these surveys is the new forms of political discourse and engagement found in virtual social networks and blogs and where usually younger people tend to engage. There is enough anecdotal evidence to suggest that the volume of reaction towards the austerity measures and unemployment has been increasing during this period.

Thank you for your attention! Marios Vryonides European University Cyprus