Politics of the Low Countries
Official BlueSky Account of the peer-reviewed diamond open access journal Politics of the Low Countries
Official journal of the ABSP, NKWP, and the VPW
www.plc-journal.eu
Editors-in-chief @mauritsmeijers.bsky.social - @audreyvdleene.bsky.social
- New research article published #openaccess in PLC ! 🤩 Loïc Cobut and @amandine-orsini.bsky.social (CReSPo - UCLouvain Saint-Louis Bruxelles) demonstrate that local governance structures can contribute to overcoming or maintaining carbon-intensive lock-ins. 🆓 Download here: doi.org/10.54195/plc...
- 👉 Qualitative research based on fieldwork interviews with 66 actors of local energy governance in 18 rural municipalities in Wallonia 👉 Authors distinguish two governance systems at the local level: polycentric and top-down.
- 👉 Authors identify seven types of (more or less intentional) climate delay discourses at the local level. #Localenergygovernance #Polycentricgovernance #Climatedelay #Lockin #Qualitativemethods
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View full thread💎 PLC is #diamondopenaccess thanks to Radboud University Press doi.org/10.54195/plc...
- We're pleased to open the PhD Review & Summary section of the 8th volume of PLC (2026, issue 1) with the very first review in PLC of a PhD based in Luxembourg ! 🎓 "Deliberative democracy amidst the Tower of Babel. Insights from Luxembourgish deliberative minipublics" (Lisa Verhasselt, @uni.lu )
- Some key conclusions: 👉 Language matters: Multilingualism strongly shapes who participates and how deliberation works. 👉 Luxembourg shows both sides: Multilingual assemblies boost inclusion but need careful design to avoid exclusion. ⤵️
- 👉 Adaptation is key: Deliberative processes must tailor language choices to context, not use one-size-fits-all models. Congratulations Lisa and thanks for choosing PLC! #Deliberativedemocracy #CitizensAssemblies #Multilingualism #Luxembourg #Inputthroughputoutputlegitimacy
- 💡 Summary of the PhD dissertation by Lisa Verhasselt ( @uni.lu ) : doi.org/10.54195/plc... 💡 Critical review of the PhD by @nicolecurato.bsky.social (University of Birmingham) : doi.org/10.54195/plc... 🆓 Both pieces are #openaccess, like all publications in PLC thanks to Radboud University Press
- 🚀 Very first publication in PLC in 2026, a research note by Thomas Laloux, Tom Delreux & Emilien Mercenier (ISPOLE-UCLouvain) on whether the Belgian 2024 Presidency of the Council of the EU was successful in reaching trilogue deals on prioritised files, & what explains the variation in that success.
- Main takes from their research ⭐ The Belgian Presidency significantly increased the likelihood of trilogue deals on files it prioritized, making them 6.7 times more likely to succeed. ⭐ Overall, 56% of prioritized files were successfully negotiated, compared to only 15% of non-prioritized files.
- ⭐ Success varied across policy fields: high rates in economic affairs and justice/home affairs, lower in environmental policy. ⭐ Preference heterogeneity within the Council boosted success, while high stakeholder attention reduced it, showing internal dynamics mattered more than external pressures.
- Congratulations to the 3 authors 👏 The publication is #openaccess : doi.org/10.54195/plc... #Belgium #EuropeanUnion #CounciloftheEU #Rotatingpresidency 💎 Radboud University Press #diamondopenaccess
- ✨Big plans for PLC in 2026 ✨ 📚 The first research articles from the special issue on #localpolitics "Local democracy in the Low Countries: at the base changing face?" guest edited by Kristof Steyvers and @ostaaijen.bsky.social will be out soon ! 🧵
- 📚 Papers are in the making for the SI on #democraticinnovations "Reinventing Democracy in the Low Countries: Evidence, Insights, and Next Frontiers in Democratic Innovations Research" guest edited by E Paulis, D Talukder & @takesipma.bsky.social. Expect a thick issue! 🧵
- 📢 PLC will be in the spotlight at the 13th ed. of State of the Federation, the ABSP-VPW conference. Join our editors-in-chief @mauritsmeijers.bsky.social & @audreyvdleene.bsky.social on Feb 6 in Antwerp for the launch session of PLC as Diamond Open Access journal 💎 www.uantwerpen.be/nl/overuantw...
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View full thread📬 We still welcome your submissions for research articles, research notes, literature reviews, PhD summaries&reviews or opinion pieces in our State of the profession section. Submit on our website: plc-journal.eu 🆓 All PLC publications are #openaccess thanks to Radboud University Press.
- ⏰ Publication alert! Just in time before the end of the year, we published the final piece of the 2025 issue: a research article by Damien Piron, Amandine Andrien, Tom Frenea, Gatien Grommen, Alex Pierre & Yanis Tambour - @universitedeliege.bsky.social 👉 doi.org/10.54195/plc... #openaccess
- Sneak peak into their work: 🚂 The article examines the autonomy of Belgium's railway infrastructure manager, Infrabel, over 25 years, focusing on the effects of EU liberalization policies.
- 🚂Infrabel's autonomy is nuanced, dynamic, and negotiated, with significant legal and managerial autonomy but limited financial and structural independence due to government control.
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View full thread🚂 Authors underscore the importance of longitudinal case studies in understanding the impact of liberalization policies on public organizations and bureaucratic autonomy.
- 📢 New publication 📢 We are pleased to shine the spotlight on Toine Paulissen's PhD (@vd-researchgroup.bsky.social - KU Leuven)! 👉 The PhD summary by @toinepaulissen.bsky.social : doi.org/10.54195/plc... 👉A critical review by @theresareidy.bsky.social : doi.org/10.54195/plc... #openaccess
- Reposted by Politics of the Low Countries[OUT] Out now in @plc-journal.bsky.social PhD Summary: "Crafting campaigns, messages, and identities: Belgian parties in a digitalized political arena" by @lucaskins.bsky.social, postdoc at SciencePo ULB (Cevipol) plc-journal.eu/article/view...
- Reposted by Politics of the Low CountriesInterested in how parties integrate social media comm to shape public perceptions of party competition & their relationship to groups? Check out @lucaskins.bsky.social dissertation (and other outputs!). PhD summary and my short review @plc-journal.bsky.social plc-journal.eu/issue/view/1...
- 📢 New publication ! Julie Sevenans & Patrick F.A. van Erkel study how out-party cues shift policy preferences in 🇧🇪 and show that minimal aversion is needed for polarisation of attitudes. 🔗 doi.org/10.54195/plc... #OpenAccess #PolSci
- One week left to submit your abstract for the special issue on Democratic Innovations ! #democraticinnovations
- 📢 Call for Papers – Special Issue on Democratic Innovations in the Low Countries Guest editors: Emilien Paulis (University of Luxembourg), David Talukder (Université de Namur) & @takesipma.bsky.social (Tilburg University) 🗓️ Abstract submissions by October 31 plc-journal.eu/announcement...
- 📢 Call for Papers – Special Issue on Democratic Innovations in the Low Countries Guest editors: Emilien Paulis (University of Luxembourg), David Talukder (Université de Namur) & @takesipma.bsky.social (Tilburg University) 🗓️ Abstract submissions by October 31 plc-journal.eu/announcement...
- Reposted by Politics of the Low CountriesHappy to announce the publication of my first article in @plc-journal.bsky.social! 👀 Interested in reading more about sibling parties and electoral behaviour in Belgium? Check out the post below 👇 Thank you to my supervisors @marchooghe.bsky.social and @dieterstiers.bsky.social for their guidance
- 📢 New #openaccess publication 📢 📝 Party Families as a Cross-Cutting Cleavage on the Individual Level: The case of Belgium 👤 By Steven De Keyser (@kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social, Voting and Democracy Research Group) 🔗 plc-journal.eu/article/view...
- 🔦PLC is pleased to spotlight this literature review by Sofie Hennau, Johan Ackaert from our archives "Compulsory Voting and Voter Turnout in the Low Countries: A Qualitative Data Analysis of the Case Vlaams Belang" 🔗Available in #OpenAccess in PLC (Vol. 4 No. 3) at: plc-journal.eu/article/view...
- 📣Today PLC is also proud to reintroduce this article by Jasper Praet "The Ideological Roots of Populist Radical-Right Climate Scepticism: A Qualitative Data Analysis of the Case Vlaams Belang" 🔓Available in #OpenAccess in PLC (Vol. 4 No. 3) at: plc-journal.eu/article/view...
- 📂Delving into our archives PLC is pleased to highlight this article by Ruud Wouters, Michiel de Vydt, Luna Staes @uantwerpen.be "Truly Exceptional? Participants in the Belgian 2019 Youth for Climate Protest Wave" 🔗Available in #OpenAccess in PLC (Vol. 4 No. 3) at: plc-journal.eu/article/view...
- 💡Interested in Referendums, Political Parties and Policies in Europe? Politics of the Low Countries is pleased to reintroduce its special issue on the topic! Available in #OpenAccess 🧵 #OpenPublishing #PoliticalScience
- "Amending and Extending Referendum Ballots: Innovations in Referendum Literature and Practice" A literature review by Charlotte C.L. Wagenaar Available in #OpenAccess in PLC (Vol 5. No. 1) at: plc-journal.eu/article/view...
- "The Democratic Potential of Community-Based Initiatives" An article by Kors Visscher, Menno Hurenkamp and Evelien Tonkens Available in #OpenAccess in PLC (Vol 5. No. 1) at: plc-journal.eu/article/view...
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View full thread"Responsive or Responsible? On the policy implementation of popular initiative under challenges of international law" An article by Laurent Bernhard Available in #OpenAccess in PLC (Vol 5. No. 1) at: plc-journal.eu/article/view...
- 📢 New #openaccess publication 📢 📝 Party Families as a Cross-Cutting Cleavage on the Individual Level: The case of Belgium 👤 By Steven De Keyser (@kuleuvenuniversity.bsky.social, Voting and Democracy Research Group) 🔗 plc-journal.eu/article/view...
- Sneak peek in the publication 💡 Unlike most countries, Belgium lacks national parties; regional “sibling parties” fill the gap 💡 Using the 2019 CSES Belgian dataset, the article shows that these sibling parties attract *similar* voters across regions, especially the Greens and less the liberals
- 💡The paper offers new perspectives on how party families might contribute to political stability in divided systems 🔎 Check out the figure by party family ⤵️
- 📣 New publication 📣 We're proud that @sldelange.bsky.social, @tomlouwerse.nl Paul 't Hart & Carolien Van Ham, editors of the Oxford Handbook of Dutch Politics chose PLC to discuss & advertise their work 😊 📄 Curious ? Have a read, it's short, impactful & #openaccess: plc-journal.eu/article/view...
- 💡 In this new "State of the profession" article, the authors present this masterpiece for all political scientists, and beyond, interested in Dutch politics. #Dutchpolitics #Pillarisation #Populism #Consociationaldemocracy #LowCountries #RadboudUniversityPress #openpublishing
- Did you know ? 👉 The sister article on the The Oxford Handbook of Belgian Politics, by Min Reuchamps, Marleen Brans, Petra Meier and Emilie van Haute ( @emilievh.bsky.social) has been published earlier in PLC : plc-journal.eu/article/view...
- Reposted by Politics of the Low CountriesVery happy to announce that @plc-journal.bsky.social has published an abbreviated version of our introduction to the OUP Handbook of Dutch Politics. It is a concise analysis of how Dutch politics has (not) changed since the heydays of consociationalism plc-journal.eu/article/view...
- 📢 New #openaccess publication 📢 📝 Insiders, Outsiders, and Ideology: Explaining Variation in Ministerial Adviser Recruitment Patterns in Flanders (1999–2020) 👥 By Tom Bellens & Marleen Brans (KU Leuven Public Governance Institute @io-pgi-kuleuven.bsky.social) 🔗 plc-journal.eu/article/view... 🧵
- Sneak peek into the publication 💡 Explores how Flemish political parties recruit ministerial advisers, balancing political loyalty and expertise 💡 Introduces a dynamic model combining resources (cartel vs. non-cartel parties) and ideology (left vs. right leaning parties)
- 💡 Reveals recruitment patterns using a unique dataset of 754 advisers and 5828 career positions 💡 Shows that non-cartel parties recruit more outsiders, while cartel parties prefer insiders. Rightwing parties lean toward advisers from the private sector; leftwing parties favor academia/public sector
