The emergence and re-emergence of civil society: a brief history of civil society in Europe, from the Magna Carta to the Eurozone crisis
2013
Pratt, Brian | Popplewell, Rowan
Since 2008, Europe has been mired in a series of complex and interconnected economic, financial, fiscal, and political crises, prompting citizens across Europe to erupt onto the streets to protest against cuts to pensions and public services, taxation increases, and government corruption. The current crises have resulted in profound challenges for many civil society organisations, yet they also arguably present an opportunity for many groups and have prompted the re-emergence of a more vibrant and politically engaged civil society in some European countries, as compared to the large contract delivery NGOs which have dominated recent years, sometimes to the detriment of small civil society organisations which are the backbone of European civil society However, in order to fully understand these current and emerging trends, we should cast our gaze further back. This article aims to contextualise recent trends through providing a brief history of the emergence and development of civil society in Europe, drawing on seven longer case studies from the UK, Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, and Greece. It will then discuss some of the main issues and trends, and reflect on possible future directions for civil society in Europe.
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