Europeanisation from below: Still time for another Europe? Introduction to the special issue of the European Journal of Cultural and Political Sociology

The focus of this special issue is on social movements’ alternative visions and practices of ‘another Europe’. As trust in the European Union (EU) is dramatically falling amongst its citizens, research on alternative visions of Europe ‘from below’ appears all the more relevant in order to understand the potential for changes in EU politics, policies, and polity. The general question we want to address refers therefore to the ways in which the financial crisis and related political turmoil have affected the position of progressive social movements towards the Europeanisation process. In addressing the development of alternative visions of Europe, this special issue looks at anti-austerity protests, and related mobilisations in the period of 2011–2016. The various contributions assess the effects of the financial crisis on the multilevel governance of European countries and, therefore, on the ways in which social movements formulate claims, frames, and justifications about European institutions. This editorial introduces the main approaches to the Europeanisation of social movements, discusses how they might apply in times of crisis, and then presents the articles included in the special issue.