In the late nineteenth and early twentiethc centuries, the growth of nationalist and minority movements interacting with democratic political forces stretched to breaking point the rules and conventions of parliamentary systems. Today, a combination of economic crisis, stresses caused by refugee movements and economic migration, as well as a collapse in the perceived legitimacy of many political systems, is again testing the capacity of political institutions to cope.
This discussion will explore how the fit between democratic institutions and national identities and aspirations is being challenged across Europe.