Polarized Democracies: New Lines of Division in Europe

On June 11 and 12, 2026, the MIDEM Research Center at TUD Dresden University of Technology hosted the international workshop “Polarized Democracies: New Lines of Division in Europe.” Researchers from Germany, Switzerland, Spain, Romania, and Italy discussed current developments in political and social polarization in Europe. A special focus was placed on presentations by early-career researchers, who provided insights into their ongoing research projects. Several MIDEM researchers also presented their own papers.

The event centered on the question of how polarization is changing in European democracies and what new lines of social conflict are emerging. The presentations ranged from methodological questions regarding the measurement of polarization to affective polarization and political perceptual biases, as well as migration, media coverage, and mobilization by far-right parties.

A recurring theme was the spread of polarization beyond traditional party lines. Several presentations showed that political divisions are increasingly anchored in specific policy areas such as climate policy, migration, or issues of social identity. At the same time, the emotional dimensions of political conflicts were examined—such as how political opponents are perceived, how enemy stereotypes emerge, and what consequences this has for democratic institutions and social cohesion.

The survey data collected by MIDEM from the Polarization Barometer was used in several presentations as an important empirical basis and benchmark. Among other things, it served to place findings on affective polarization, lines of social conflict, and attitudes toward migration policy within a broader European context.

Another key focus was on migration and displacement. The presentations examined, among other things, the portrayal of migration in the media, the evolution of attitudes toward migration policy, the role of far-right parties, and public perceptions of asylum and refugee policy in various European countries. It became clear that public attitudes are often more nuanced and ambivalent than the frequently polarized political debates would suggest.

MIDEM researchers presented recent work on affective climate polarization in Europe, on migration and the far right on the Iberian Peninsula, and on the media portrayal of Ukrainian refugees in Germany. The presentations also highlighted the breadth of current MIDEM research on polarization, migration, and democracy.