News archive for Department of Comparative Politics

Associate Professor Elisabeth Ivarsflaten says to newspaper Klassekampen that EU sceptics of all hues did well in the EU elections, with a few exceptions.

Professor Jonas Linde says to local newspaper Sunnhordaland that politicians often underestimate the importance of having the right contacts. A recent survey done by the newspaper shows that less than half of the elected politicians in the municipality of Stord believes knowing the right people matters for influencing political outcomes there.

Associate Professor Elisabeth Ivarsflaten of the Department of Comparative Politics represents the University of Bergen in a new international research project on populist communication. The project is supported by the prestigious COST Action EU program.

Professor Gunnar Grendstad argues in an op-ed in Klassekampen that the government’s and the Supreme Court’s involvement in the selection of justices could be problematic with respect to the separation of powers and democracy. He notes that some therefore have favored involving the Norwegian parliament more in the selection process.

According to Professor Tor Midtbø of the Department of Comparative Politics, journalists have become more interested in the political game and what happens offstage, and this leads to more political scandals. Midtbø was recently interviewed by newspaper Mandag Morgen about a new Nordic research project on political scandals in which he is engaged.

The TV2 News Channel and The Royal Norwegian Naval Academy are among those asking for the Ukraine expertise of Associate Professor Terje Knutsen. During the tense situation in Ukraine Norwegian media have frequently asked for the Eastern Europe expert’s assessment.

Professor Stein Kuhnle is the co-editor of a new book on work-life balance in Europe and China. Together with Norwegian and Chinese colleagues he discusses how China can learn from the experiences of European welfare states.

The annual Stein Rokkan Memorial Lecture was held 24 October. Professor Donatella della Porta, Department of Political and Social Sciences, European University Institute, Italy gave the lecture The reemergence of a class cleavage? Social movements in times of austerity. Professor Donatella della Porta is a prominent scientist in the field of social movements.