REDIRECT will take part in the 2026 edition of the Festival del Presente – “Inizi. Origini, generazioni, metamorfosi”, organised by Pandora Rivista in Bologna.
On 9 October 2026 at 17:00, Luca Verzichelli, Principal Investigator of REDIRECT at the University of Siena, will participate in the event “Democrazia addio”, starting from Lorenzo De Sio’s recent book Democrazia addio (Laterza). The discussion will take place at the Oratorio di San Filippo Neri in Bologna.
The event will address a question that is also central to REDIRECT’s research agenda: whether contemporary Western democracies are facing a structural crisis and, in particular, whether democratic institutions remain capable of responding effectively to citizens’ demands and needs.
Drawing on the arguments developed by Lorenzo De Sio in Democrazia addio, the discussion will provide an opportunity to reflect on the transformations affecting representative democracy, the relationship between citizens and political institutions, and the challenges facing democratic representation in Europe today.
Luca Verzichelli’s participation also offers an opportunity to connect these broader debates with REDIRECT’s ongoing research on political representation, representative disconnect and changing relationships between citizens and political elites.
The event forms part of the ninth edition of the Festival del Presente, which in 2026 is dedicated to the theme “Inizi. Origini, generazioni, metamorfosi” and brings together debates, lectures and conversations across Bologna from 1 to 18 October.
Event: Festival del Presente 2026
Session: Democrazia addio
Date: 9 October 2026
Time: 17:00
Location: Oratorio di San Filippo Neri, Bologna
Participants: Lorenzo De Sio and Luca Verzichelli
Research focus: Democracy, political representation and citizen–institution relations
To keep up with the latest developments from the REDIRECT project, visit redirect.unisi.it. We also welcome proposals for the REDIRECT series on ECPR’s The Loop.
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