Author: UCL European Institute

Politics & Governance

COVID-19 and the surge of the anti-racist movement in France

Philippe Marlière, Professor of French and European Politics at UCL, argues that anti-racist activism in France has surged due to police brutality and the disproportionate effect of COVID-19 on BAME populations. This article was originally written for the Political Studies Association Blog as part of their “COVID-19 Blog Series: How Europe has responded to the crisis.” Click here to read the original post. George Floyd’s … Continue reading COVID-19 and the surge of the anti-racist movement in France

UCL European InstituteLeave a comment
History & Culture

Between Europe and the Black Atlantic

*This piece was originally published in Black Perspectives, the blog of The African American Intellectual History Society (AAIHS). It is part of the AAIHS blog series on Black Europe, which explores what it means to bring the category of Black Europe to the foreground of scholarship on Europe and the Black Atlantic. Reprinted with permission. Writing seventy years after the Empire Windrush docked in Essex, Dr Caroline Bressey (UCL Geography) argued in this … Continue reading Between Europe and the Black Atlantic

UCL European InstituteLeave a comment
Politics & Governance

COVID-19: An Opportunity to Reinstate Democratic Deliberativeness

Dr Myriam Hunter-Henin, Reader in Law & Religion and Comparative Law (UCL Laws), explores democratic decision-making during the Covid-19 pandemic. She is the author of Why Religious Freedom Matters for Democracy: Comparative Reflections from Britain and France for a Democratic Vivre Ensemble (Hart 2020). For all the tragic consequences they bring and the uncertainties they trigger, pandemics are also bearers of truth: they reveal the … Continue reading COVID-19: An Opportunity to Reinstate Democratic Deliberativeness

UCL European InstituteLeave a comment
History & Culture

Echoes of the past: Toppling statues of Colston and Lenin

Dr Uilleam Blacker, Lecturer in Comparative Culture of Eastern Europe at UCL, examines the historical precedents for toppling statues of controversial figures. Feature image: Luke Fowler (@lu_fowler on Instagram) Watching the toppling of Bristol’s Edward Colston monument, I was struck by echoes of the fate of another dubious statue: Kyiv’s Lenin monument. The Bolshevik leader was pulled down in 2013 amid anti-government protests sparked first by … Continue reading Echoes of the past: Toppling statues of Colston and Lenin

UCL European InstituteLeave a comment
Brexit, Law & Constitutions

Brexit and parliament: where did it all go wrong?

Meg Russell, Director of the UCL Constitution Unit and Professor of British and Comparative Politics at UCL, examines the four factors which contributed to the parliamentary ‘perfect storm’ over Brexit, concluding that ‘parliament’ largely got the blame for divisions inside the Conservative Party.  This article was originally published by the Constitution Unit Blog and is reposted with permission. Amidst the current Covid-19 crisis, last year’s Brexit clashes already … Continue reading Brexit and parliament: where did it all go wrong?

UCL European InstituteLeave a comment