Book

The Figure of the Politician in Modern and Contemporary Europe

The figure of the ‘politician’ occupies a central yet fraught position in the media landscape of contemporary Europe.

Author

Pasi Ihalainen, Rosario López, Kari Palonen, and Henk te Velde (eds.)

Date

22 January 2026

Links

Berghahn Books

A frequent source of criticism in everyday news bulletins, the term itself is loaded with an emotional significance that corresponds with prevailing perceptions of current political administrations. In this geographically wide-ranging assessment of the figure of the politician in modern and contemporary Europe, Pasi Ihalainen, Rosario López, Kari Palonen, and Henk te Velde re-examine the trajectory of terms like ‘politician’ and ‘statesman’, illuminating its correspondence with emerging, political trends. Drawing on a variety of data surveys from several European countries, this volume spotlights how profoundly the concept of representative democracy is shifting. 

With contributions from Anne Heyer.

(Text by publisher)