European Republicanism(s)

The last twenty or so years have seen a veritable surge in research on, or inspired by, republicanism. A supposedly forgotten tradition of political thought, republicanism has been ‘rediscovered’ as a European heritage which offers a viable alternative to dominant frameworks of thinking about social, political and economic questions (and to liberalism, in particular). Notably, republicanism has been characterized not as a comprehensive political theory but as a research program: Starting out from a number of core ideas (an account of freedom as non-domination, a focus on the role of institutions, an emphasis on citizenship, etc.), republicanism provides a framework for pursuing various research questions in different disciplines (including different subfields in political science). Undoubtedly, broader normative and conceptual questions still need further clarification – as evidenced by respective studies on power, democracy, or social justice. However, there is now also a growing literature on the ‘application’ of republican ideas to much more specific social and political issues and challenges – comprising studies on electoral systems, criminal law, the status of religious minorities, or basic income models. Such ‘applications’ include attempts at employing republicanism in addressing pressing social and political challenges in Europe – like the debt crisis and its repercussions, the rise of populism, separatist movements, or the refugee crisis – which decidedly have an impact on individual states, but at the same time need to be faced on the level of Europe or, more specifically, the European Union. Interestingly, this duality in perspective echoes one within the republican tradition itself: The rediscovery of republicanism has led to a (re-)discovery of a multitude of thinkers, works and discourses in different European countries as contributions to this tradition of political thought – reaching well beyond its oft-cited Roman origins. While this supports the characterization of republicanism as a ‘shared European heritage’, it suggests that we might also speak of a plurality of European republicanisms.