Policy Briefs

This brief draws on a Coimbra workshop to assess the emotional dynamics of Temporary Protection for Ukrainians in Portugal and identifies how a policy designed to provide safety can also generate uncertainty and anxiety. Stakeholders highlighted three main problem areas with strong emotional consequences: liminal residence status and weak documentation, insufficient official information/communication and limited participation channels, and gaps in access to psychological support. To strengthen security, agency, and belonging, the brief recommends clearer pathways beyond TP, re-issued usable permits, a permanent Ukrainian-language information channel, institutionalised participation mechanisms, stronger public communication to counter misperceptions, and explicit provision for psychological assistance.

This policy brief draws on a practitioners’ workshop with members of the Saarland State Parliament to examine how emotions shape policy-making in a context of polycrisis and heightened insecurity. Participants reported that emotions increasingly influence debates on protective policies, often complicating compromise-building and contributing to polarisation. A key tension identified is between the emotionalised, fast-paced dynamics of social media and the slower, consensus-oriented logic of parliamentary decision-making. Politicians felt pressured to communicate more emotionally online to remain visible, while emphasising that meaningful engagement with citizens’ emotions is most effective in direct, face-to-face interactions. The brief concludes that emotionalised communication risks undermining compromise and distorting public expectations of politics, underscoring the importance of preserving deliberative spaces and strengthening opportunities for direct dialogue.

This thematic brief explores how emotional policy entrepreneurs (EPEs) strategically deploy emotions in Israel’s policy arenas and the implications for polarization, trust, and de-radicalization. Drawing on expert discussions, it shows that emotional manipulation—amplified by digital platforms and AI—bypasses cognitive reasoning and can entrench negative emotions over time, creating persistent influence in low-trust environments. However, the findings also indicate that emotion can be redirected constructively. Shared, non-partisan emotional narratives can cross political divides and support de-radicalization when used responsibly. The brief concludes that strengthening democratic resilience requires strategic, ethical engagement with emotions—not their suppression.

This joint policy brief by the Horizon Europe projects PROTEMO, MORES and PLEDGE highlights how citizens’ emotions shape policy demands and political decision-making across policy areas. Drawing on insights from an online policy workshop and recent comparative research, it shows that emotional needs—especially related to insecurity and protection—are often overlooked in policymaking, despite their central role for democratic responsiveness and resilience.