European inventory of
societal values of culture

AGONISTIC POLITICS, DISSONANCE AND DISAGREEMENT

The existence of democratic institutions does not imply the absence of antagonisms in the political field. On the contrary, conflicts are better regulated when they are institutionalised at different levels through various channels, such as the electoral arena.

Agonistic politics refers to a political approach or framework that acknowledges and embraces conflicting viewpoints, ideas, and interests within society as essential aspects of a democratic society rather than seeking to eliminate or suppress them. The term "agonistic" is derived from the Greek word "agon," meaning contest or struggle.

In the context of culture, agonistic politics involves creating spaces for open and respectful debate, dialogue, and engagement among different cultural perspectives, even those that might be opposing or contradictory. It emphasises the importance of allowing various cultural groups, ideologies, and identities to coexist and express themselves within a broader societal framework. Rather than viewing conflict as inherently negative, agonistic politics sees it as a catalyst for growth and improvement. When acknowledged and managed constructively, cultural conflicts can lead to new insights, compromise, and creative solutions. This approach contrasts with consensus-based politics that aim to achieve uniformity or homogeneity of ideas.

Key aspects of agonistic politics in culture include: the recognition that societies are composed of individuals and groups with diverse cultural backgrounds, beliefs, and values and that instead of trying to suppress these differences, they should be respected; encouragement of open and rigorous debate, where different cultural viewpoints can be presented, challenged, and discussed; maintaining mutual respect between proponents of conflicting views; tolerance for ambiguity; and acknowledgement that some cultural conflicts may not have clear-cut solutions.

With the rise of right-wing populism in recent years, Europe is facing a new wave of political conflicts characterised by particular features, which include new repertoires of action inside civil societies, participatory democracy, low electoral turnout, and a fragmented and polarised political spectrum.

Disagreements are strong in relatively divided societies. This is probably the reason why new repertoires of action have emerged inside civil society, giving birth to a very large set of expressions of dissent and dissonance. They include a wide range of actions, from different kinds of demonstrations to occupations of places. One example could be the so-called Zones à défendre (ZAD, in translation: Areas to defend) of radical ecological groups in France.

Secondly, another new channel of expression of dissent is participatory democracy, in all its forms, more or less institutionalised or spontaneous. Participatory channels are alive not only in the political field but also in various sectors of the economic world through the practices of non-profit organisations, associations, cooperatives, and the social economy.

Thirdly, disagreement and dissent may be expressed in the political field through a structurally low electoral turnout at elections. In 1994, the turnout at the European Parliament election was, for example, only 56.8% and declined to 43.1% in 2014. The enlargement of the EU has hence not led to a surplus of electoral participation, and the participation has only stabilised at a very low level. It has returned to a higher level in 2019, with 50.6%, right after Brexit, which has dramatised the issue of EU membership in various countries.

Finally, the political field is one of the places where new dissent takes place. In Western EU member states, the fragmentation of the political spectrum follows oppositions around two major dimensions: (1) a traditional left-wing opposition, which is mainly based on socio-economic divisions (degrees of adhesion to neoliberalism and austerity) but also on environmental issues (closely linked to capitalism and consumerism), and (2) an opposition relating to migrations and nationalism, which polarises the political field around right-wing populist parties and discourses. In former socialist countries, divisions are strong not only along religious and national identity lines but also concerning corruption and economic justice.

One should also mention that identity issues have become central to the political dynamics of Europe. This overdetermines the stakes around culture since culture is more and more often understood in terms of identity, religion, and heritage. (FL)