Investigating the emotions of protective policies

Why Protemo?

Pride, fear, anxiety, hope, anger, satisfaction, disgust: the impact of emotions on current politics in democracies is far-reaching. This is no less true when it comes to policies that political actors communicate as providing security and protection to citizens, referred to as 'protective policies.' What role do emotions play in this context, and what does this mean for our democratic systems? Coordinated by Saarland University, Germany, the EU-funded research project 'PROTEMO' brings together eight international institutions to enhance our understanding of how emotions matter for policy-making in an age of misinformation and insecurity.

PROTEMO is an inclusive project and does not endorse the political views of any individual institution composing the consortium. The consortium condemns all forms of violence and repudiates the use of science for political manipulation and oppression.

Under the coordination of our esteemed colleague Prof. Moshe Maor, Reichman University, Israel is a partner institution of PROTEMO. Reichman University is the only private university in Israel, and as such, acts in complete independence from the Israeli (and any other) governments - under the principles of academic freedom and the Israeli Declaration of Independence. As such, the university has openly criticised the Israeli government's Constitutional Law Reforms. PROTEMO's focus includes research into how and why different groups of citizens and non-citizens feel un/protected. The participation of citizens and, in particular, non-citizens is sought through an ethical and non-extractivist approach that seeks to account for and value contributions even when they contradict dominant narratives. The research produced by the team, coordinated by Prof. Moshe Maor, will seek to reach out to all groups in society, including Israeli Arabs and Palestinians. Steps will be taken to ensure that research participants are not put at direct or indirect risk, and that their contributions are valued. As an independent research project PROTEMO does not share ongoing research data with any third parties. All dissemination activities are open to the general public and available on our website.

10/01/2024 start date

2.8 Mil. € Funding

8 partners from 6 countries

Partners'
Perspectives
on PROTEMO

By looking at how citizenship, emotions and political communication mutually influence each other, we can ultimately gain insights into how policy-making in representative democracies could look in the future.

Prof. Georg Wenzelburger

Saarland University

Through a multi-tiered approach, we at PROTEMO aim to investigate which and whose emotional needs are given priority in the political agenda setting, whose emotional needs are disavowed and silenced, and by whom.

Dr. Beatriz Carbone

Saarland University

In this turbulent age, PROTEMO will be a big step forward in understanding the emotional needs of citizens and non-citizens and how the relationship between the state and individuals is shaped by protective policies. We are excited about the opportunities to collaborate across countries, disciplines, and methodological approaches on this fascinating and relevant topic.

Prof. Peter Starke

University of Southern Denmark

PROTEMO features in the agenda centre four main current subjects: emotions, socio-political contexts, protective public policies, and human rights. The project's innovative methodology, focused on different levels of analysis and its inter- and transdisciplinary perspective, brings high-impact research and new insights into the emotional politics of democracies.

Prof. Lisete Santos Mendes Mónico

University of Coimbra

PROTEMO is an ambitious, sophisticated, and solidly structured project, that conducts interdisciplinary and broad-ranging research with an innovative mixed methodology. It will shed light on the central role of emotion in public policy processes related to the protection of diverse populations in various socio-political contexts.

Dr. Cristiano Gianolla

Centre for Social Studies - University of Coimbra

Our project is guided by our shared belief that addressing emotional needs is essential for forging a brighter future for governance and society. By illuminating the intricate interplay of emotions in politics and policy, PROTEMO paves the way for a democracy that is truly responsive and inclusive.

Dr. Tereza Capelos

University of Southampton

In PROTEMO, we strive to understand the emotional dynamics of protective politics in our age of insecurity and the role of emotional entrepreneurs in this process.

Prof. Moshe Maor

Reichman University

We look forward to help exploit the policy briefs and recommendations that outline the strategic principles, objectives and action plans necessary to improve EU policy-making and enhance communication of evidence-based policies.

Sandra Türk

European Research and Project Office GmbH