Dissensus over Liberal Democracy in Europe: a Comprehensive Research Agenda

Abstract This chapter constitutes the introduction to, and an overview of, the comprehensive examination of dissensus over liberal democracy in Europe provided by this Palgrave Handbook . It situates dissensus over liberal democracy as a defining feature of contemporary European politics and presents this perspective as a lens to better understand the recent evolution of the European Union (EU). This introductory chapter argues that liberal democracy, once regarded as the uncontested normative foundation of European integration, has become a central fault line in political conflict, policymaking, and institutional behaviour. Drawing on empirical developments and scholarly debates, the chapter shows that dissensus has emerged both from within the EU—due to the rise of illiberal politics, executive dominance, and polarisation—as well as from the outside— through authoritarian diffusion, increasing geopolitical threats and the erosion of the liberal international order. The introduction sets out the Handbook’s main research question and outlines its structure, introducing the range of analyses that demonstrate how dissensus manifests itself across various theoretical perspectives, institutional arenas, policy sectors, and geographical spaces. It contends that the comprehensive understanding of EU politics today requires a recognition that dissensus over liberal democracy has become a constitutive feature of its polity.