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. 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.