EXTRALEAD

Extraordinary Leadership and Radical Change in Democracy

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 Obiettivo del progetto (Objective)

'This project aims to study how radical change in democracy is effectuated by political leadership. In the classical liberal view, democracy is associated with ordinary institutional processes, juridical continuity, entrenched interest groups, extensive de-politicization, and gradual change. But democracies do not only develop in evolutionary manner; they also experience breaks and undergo new institutional beginnings. This project is motivated by the observation that such radical changes in democracy often originate from “extraordinary” individual leaders, able to disturb normal politics and provide new beginnings. I seek to explain the parameters of such leadership, develop a model of its workings, and test this model against empirical evidence. In addition, I also aspire to build a scholarly network for the study of political leadership in the contemporary European context in a systematic and theoretically sophisticated way. This MC Fellowship will be hosted by the European University Institute and supervised by Prof. Peter Mair, an established scholar in the field of comparative politics. Working within the EUI environment, this project will allow me to achieve my major training and research goals which are the improvement of scientific expertise and research skills; the interdisciplinary transfer of knowledge; and the establishment of a broad scholarly network for the further study of political leadership in Europe. Being already an experienced researcher, this project would further enhance my individual competences and advance my standing as an independent scholar within the European research community. To the extent that today there is a growing need for studying the role of political leaders able to undertake radical constitutive changes in our contemporary democracies, the proposed research would greatly contribute to EU-based production of scientific excellence in an important area, thus supporting the further development of the European Research Area.'

Introduzione (Teaser)

An EU-funded project studied the effect of outstanding individuals on democracy. The research produced a string of publications, and a new understanding of Greek populism.

Descrizione progetto (Article)

The classic liberal idea of democracy includes continuity and gradual change, though in fact democracies experience discontinuities and often evolve in sudden bursts. Such radical change may originate from outstanding individual leaders.

Thus, the EU-funded 'Extraordinary leadership and radical change in democracy' (EXTRALEAD) project aimed to understand and develop a general theoretical model of such leadership. Research examined how the emergence of key pioneers affects change in contemporary European democracies, focusing on Greece. The two-year undertaking concluded in August 2013.

The study achieved its goals in spite of two unforeseen circumstances. One was the death, two weeks before the project's scheduled commencement, of its intended coordinator; a replacement was arranged. Around the same time, Greece experienced political turmoil. The events led to a revised project focus, to include an analysis of the populism featured in contemporary Greek politics.

Research led to an academic book publishing contract, four peer-reviewed journal articles, one book chapter and numerous other miscellaneous publications. The work was presented at approximately 20 conferences or workshops, resulting in several media appearances. Project activities included two visiting positions (one in Norway and one in Sweden), two workshops on populism and external consulting work.

The training received during the project resulted in improved skills in project management and policy relevance.

EXTRALEAD's work extended understanding of political leadership and populism, having an ongoing relevance to politics in Europe and beyond. In addition, the investigation has made Europe more competitive in the project-specific research fields.