IE University hosted a two-day that brought together leading scholars from the our alliance to explore how technological change and global interconnectedness are shaping democratic institutions and political behavior. The conference was organised by professors Daniel J. Flynn, Carlos Lastra and Irene Menéndez González, from IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs.
Held on October 16–17, 2025, the event took place at IE Tower, the vertical campus of IE University in Madrid, and featured researchers from partner universities including the London School of Economics, Central European University, Bocconi University, and the Hertie School, alongside faculty from IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs.
The workshop opened with an institutional welcome by Vice Dean Daniel Kselman, followed by thematic sessions addressing topics such as Disruptive Exposure and Democracy, Identities and Globalisation, Misinformation and Skepticism, Automation, Displacement and Politics, and Polarization and Political Choices.
“It was a pleasure to host researchers from all these institutions at IE Tower. It was a venue for leading researchers to share how the tectonic shifts occurring across the world, from the impact of artificial intelligence on labor forces to changes in trade patterns and tariffs, are influencing politics,” said Carlos Lastra, Professor at IE University. “The world moves too fast for the usual lead times of disciplinary journals, so this was an essential space for real-time academic exchange. CIVICA, connecting prominent institutions across Europe, provides the ideal conditions for this transnational and transdisciplinary dialogue.”
The first session, “Disruptive Exposure and Democracy,” was chaired by Andrew Bertoli from IE University and led by Björn Bremmer from CEU, who presented “Is There an Electoral Basis for Fiscal Consolidation? Evidence from British Public Opinion,” co-authored with Charlotte Cavaillé, Lisanne de Blok, and Catherine De Vries, Professor of Political Science and Chair of the Politics and International Relations Area at IE University. Bremmer examined how public opinion responds to fiscal consolidation policies, finding that while principled support for fiscal discipline remains high, it weakens when citizens are faced with real trade-offs. He emphasized the influence of elite messaging and fiscal illusion on public attitudes, concluding that support for fiscal consolidation is “shallow,” depending heavily on institutional and market incentives.
Irene Menéndez González, also from IE University, presented her joint work with Erica Owen and Daniel Jones, “Trade Exposure through Supply Chains: The Electoral Consequences of the China Shock in Brazil.” The paper explores how the changing composition of trade from the China shock shapes electoral outcomes in emerging economies. While this question has been widely studied in advanced economies, emerging markets have also experienced a dramatic rise in trade integration with China, marked not only by increased imports but also by rising exports, especially in primary goods. “This paper shows that studying both winners and losers based on supply chain exposure is key to understanding the political effects of these shocks. We find that in Brazilian regions most exposed to negative shocks, whether because industries upstream were hurt by Chinese competition downstream, or because those downstream were hurt by rising input prices of Chinese products upstream, turned against Lula’s PT.”
The session “Identities and Globalisation,” chaired by Evangelos Liaras (IE University), examined how social identity and globalization shape political and economic attitudes. Aliz Toth (LSE) discussed “The Political Economy of Identity and Emigration,” while Nikitas Konstantinidis, also from IE University, presented “How Sports Nationalism Can Impact Attitudes Toward Economic Redistribution,” showing that exposure to national sports narratives can lead individuals to identify more strongly with their nation and less with their economic or social class, ultimately reducing support for redistributive policies.
Vicente Valentim, also a professor at IE school of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, concluded the session with “Real-World Sanctioning of Stigmatized Political Preferences,” co-authored with Amalia Álvarez-Benjumea. This research looks at how individuals interact with supporters of controversial or far-right parties in everyday life. “In a moment when the far-right is gaining traction in many democracies worldwide, it is important that we understand how people interact with those who support these parties as they go about their daily lives,” said Valentim.
The afternoon continued with “Misinformation and Mobilizing Skepticism,” chaired by Siyun Jiang (IE University). Emilie Truelsen (Hertie School) presented research on online incivility and its impact on transnational digital discussions, while DJ Flynn (IE University), together with Carlos Lastra, shared experimental evidence from Spanish adolescents exploring how digital skills and motivations shape online literacy and resilience to misinformation.
A highlight of the workshop was a fireside chat with Susana Malcorra, President of GWL Voices, former Chief of Staff to the UN Secretary-General, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Argentina, and former dean of IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs, and moderated by Irene Menéndez.
Reflecting on global governance, Malcorra emphasized the need for including universality and multilateralism “in this moment where everything is so fragmented.” She mentioned the importance of issue-centric cooperation, where groups of willing stakeholders unite around specific challenges, such as technology, climate, or inequality, while still preserving the UN’s universal framework as a symbol of global legitimacy. Malcorra warned that the divide between those who have and those who have not has grown dangerously wide, fuelling populism and distrust in democratic institutions. The private sector, once the driver of globalization, has often acted without sufficient regulatory oversight, a failure, in her view, that governments must now address. She called for leadership that focuses not on protecting borders or political power, but on constructing long-term solutions that serve citizens. Reflecting on today’s geopolitical shifts, she highlighted the importance of Latin America, suggesting that Europe should begin turning its attention to the region as a strategic counterbalance to the two dominant powers surrounding it.
The second day of the workshop opened with “Automation, Displacement and Politics,” chaired by DJ Flynn (IE University). Italo Colantone (Bocconi University) presented “What If You See It? Workers’ Perceptions Of And Reactions to LLMs,” co-authored with Massimo Anelli, Aina Gallego, and Piero Stanig, focusing on how workers perceive and respond to the presence of large language models and automation technologies. Michael Becher (IE University) followed with “Unfair and Contestable? What Unions Do to Beliefs About Inequality in Europe and the United States,” co-authored with Jonas Pontusson, analyzing how union membership and collective bargaining institutions shape beliefs about fairness and inequality in advanced democracies.
Finally, the last session, “Polarization and Political Choices,” chaired by Ilke Toygur, Director of the Global Policy Center at IE University, included Joanna Bryson (Hertie School), who discussed “Economic Disruption and Affective Polarisation; What Are Wages For?”, and Carlos Lastra (IE University), who presented “Redistributive Place-Based Policies and Support for Government in the EU.”
“In the work I presented, I looked at the extent to which the European Union has been successful at mitigating the government contestation and disruption so often associated with market exchanges,” Carlos Lastra explained. “A key instrument the EU has used for over 30 years is regional funding assigned to regions experiencing difficulties. Countries around the world have their own form of place-based redistribution policies. I find that citizens do not reward national governments that secure that funding with votes, likely because they are disillusioned about how it is spent. This suggests that governments and the EU should be more thoughtful about their reaction to economic challenges if they want to secure political stability at the same time".
Article credits: IE University