PROTEMO: Emotions and Protective Policies
Understanding the impact of emotions on policy decisions to build safer and more inclusive democracies.
Understanding the impact of emotions on policy decisions to build safer and more inclusive democracies.
PROTEMO investigates how emotions, such as fear and anxiety generated by global crises, influence public policies. The project analyzes how policymakers respond to these emotional states and how citizens perceive protective measures, aiming to strengthen democratic resilience in Europe. Activities include surveys across 11 countries, interviews with policymakers, and the development of guidelines for more empathetic and transparent institutions.
The PROTEMO project explores the crucial role that emotions play in shaping how protective public policies are designed, communicated, and perceived in contemporary democracies. In recent years, political life has become increasingly influenced by feelings such as fear, pride, anger, anxiety, and hope, especially in contexts marked by insecurity and polarized narratives. PROTEMO starts from the idea that these emotional dynamics are not secondary elements but central forces that guide both political decision-making and citizens’ reactions to it. For this reason, the project focuses on the emotional connection between individuals and the state, with particular attention to policies that promise security and protection.
The project examines three interconnected dimensions. First, it investigates how policymakers interpret the emotional needs of citizens and how these perceptions influence the formulation of protective policies. Second, it studies how individuals and social groups emotionally respond to such policies once they are introduced, capturing reactions that may range from reassurance to frustration or distrust. Third, it analyzes how these emotional responses feed back into the policy process, influencing future decisions and contributing to the evolution of democratic governance. Through this lens, PROTEMO highlights the importance of emotional responsiveness as a key, yet often overlooked, component of representative democracy.
To pursue these goals, the project adopts a broad methodological approach that spans multiple countries and combines diverse research techniques. These include representative surveys designed to measure emotional responses at scale, structured experiments to analyze causal mechanisms, comparative analyses of specific policies such as pandemic management or climate-related measures, and in-depth qualitative studies focusing on vulnerable groups—such as underprivileged citizens, migrant women, and refugees—whose emotional needs for protection are often neglected. This comprehensive design makes it possible to understand how emotional dynamics operate at institutional, social, and individual levels.
Through this work, PROTEMO aims to offer a deeper understanding of how emotions shape the relationship between citizens and the state. Protective policies often claim to provide safety, yet the emotional reactions they evoke can vary dramatically based on personal histories, social positions, and collective experiences. By analyzing these variations, the project contributes to broader discussions on the future of democratic participation and the forms of affective citizenship emerging in today’s societies. Ultimately, PROTEMO seeks to support more effective and transparent policymaking by highlighting the emotional dimensions that influence trust, legitimacy, and public engagement.
Coordinated by an international consortium of academic and research institutions, the project brings together experts from political science, sociology, psychology, and public administration. Its ambition is not only to advance scientific knowledge but also to provide practical insights that can help institutions communicate policies more effectively and respond to citizens’ needs in a more sensitive and informed way. In doing so, PROTEMO positions itself as a significant contribution to understanding democracy in an age defined by uncertainty and emotional intensity.
Number of Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) researchers employed. Economic value of the Horizon Europe grant (€3M). Number of policy briefings delivered to economic and governmental stakeholders.
€3 million EU contribution and specialized academic staff.
Data analysis, cross-national surveys, and international research management.
Comprehensive research reports, public datasets, and academic publications.
Improved evidence-based policymaking that avoids costly social crises.
Long-term contribution to European economic stability through more resilient and less polarized democratic governance.
Psychology and social science experts.
Focus groups and sentiment analysis of the population.
Guidelines for "emotionally intelligent" protective policies.
Reduced societal stress related to global crises and perceived threats.
Improvement in the mental well-being and social resilience of European citizens
Number of virtual meetings held vs. physical travels; percentage of paperless administrative processes; use of energy-efficient digital infrastructure for data storage.
Digital collaboration platforms and eco-friendly institutional policies.
Remote data collection (online surveys) and virtual consortium workshops.
Digital-only reports and open-access online databases.
Reduced carbon footprint of the research consortium
Contribution to the "Green Transition" in the academic and policy research sector by demonstrating low-impact methodology.
Number of digital datasets produced; complexity of sentiment analysis algorithms developed; volume of online data (social media/parliamentary records) processed.
High-performance computing resources; specialized data analysis software (e.g., Python-based NLP libraries); expertise in digital humanities and computational social science.
Automated content analysis of institutional discourses; mapping emotional trends through digital surveys; developing a digital dashboard for data visualization.
Methodological toolkits for digital emotional mapping; open-access research databases; technical reports on AI-driven sentiment analysis in politics.
Enhanced technical capacity for European institutions to monitor public sentiment accurately and respond to emotional dynamics in real-time.
Technological modernization of democratic governance, providing a digital framework for more responsive and data-driven public policies.
Social polarization levels; institutional trust indices; percentage of civil society organizations engaged.
Socio-political research staff; EU Horizon Europe funding; participation of citizens from 11 countries.
Pan-European surveys; focus groups on the impact of crisis-driven laws; comparative analysis of civil rights protection across Europe.
Policy recommendations for "Inclusive Protection"; research reports on democratic resilience.
Increased awareness among European policymakers about the social risks of fear-based legislation.
A more cohesive European society where security policies reinforce, rather than undermine, fundamental civil rights and democratic values.
Number of researchers hired with stable contracts; gender balance ratio in the consortium; employee satisfaction scores.
Institutional HR policies; dedicated budget for personnel; workplace safety protocols
Implementation of flexible working arrangements; professional development workshops; regular consortium-wide health and safety monitoring.
Employment contracts aligned with EU standards; Gender Equality Plans; career development reports
: A highly motivated and inclusive research team working in a safe and supportive environment.
Contribution to the "European Research Area" goals by demonstrating that fair and ethical working conditions lead to higher quality scientific innovation.
Number of institutional stakeholders involved; frequency of policy-brief adoption; improvements in institutional trust metrics.
Strategic partnerships with 5 leading European research institutions; expertise in public administration and policy analysis.
Comparative analysis of institutional responses to crises; mapping the "protective" legislation across the EU; organizing workshops for government officials.
A comprehensive "Policy Toolkit" for institutional resilience; comparative reports on legislative trends; academic papers on institutional trust.
Institutions become more aware of how their communication and laws affect the public's emotional state and security perception.
Structural modernization of European governance, leading to institutions that are better equipped to handle crises without fueling social polarization.
Number of policy-makers attending workshops; diversity of NGOs engaged in focus groups; number of collaborative agreements with external institutional partners.
Stakeholder engagement strategy; dedicated communication and dissemination team; network of EU-level institutional contacts.
Multi-stakeholder workshops; "Policy Labs" for co-designing the project's toolkit; regular briefings with European Parliament and Commission representatives.
Joint policy briefs co-authored or reviewed by stakeholders; stakeholder-validated governance guidelines; interactive webinars and dissemination events.
Higher relevance of research results to actual legislative needs and increased buy-in from institutional actors.
Creation of a permanent network of "emotionally aware" policymakers, leading to a long-term shift towards more participative and transparent democratic governance in Europe.
Number of diverse European territories/regions covered by research; number of local-level dissemination events; cross-border cooperation intensity between the 5 main partner countries.
Local research teams in Denmark, Poland, Portugal, Israel, and Germany; regional socio-demographic data.
Conducting territory-specific surveys and focus groups; comparative spatial analysis of political sentiment; local workshops to discuss regional security perceptions.
Regional "Emotional Maps" of Europe; country-specific policy briefs; comparative reports on territorial variations in institutional trust.
Local and regional policymakers gain a better understanding of their citizens' specific emotional needs, leading to more targeted and effective local governance.
Reduced territorial inequality in how citizens feel protected by the state, fostering greater European integration and reducing the "geography of discontent."
Number of PhD students and early-career researchers involved; volume of open-access academic publications; number of attendees at public lectures and webinars.
Interdisciplinary expertise (Psychology, Political Science, Data Science); European research infrastructure; consortium of 5 high-ranking academic institutions.
Developing new curricula for policy analysis; organizing international summer schools; public dissemination of research findings through non-academic channels.
Peer-reviewed journal articles; educational toolkits for universities; interactive digital maps of European political emotions.
Advanced cognitive understanding of the link between individual emotions and macro-level political stability among the academic community and the public.
A long-term cultural shift towards evidence-based and emotionally intelligent governance, strengthening the intellectual foundations of European democracy.
Inclusion of specific youth cohorts in surveys; number of early-career researchers (PhDs/Post-docs) employed; long-term policy projections reaching the 2030s.
Demographic data focused on Gen Z and Millennials; participation of university student organizations.
Dedicated focus groups with young citizens to understand their perception of global crises; training programs for junior scholars within the consortium.
Strategic insights for "future-proofing" democracy; educational materials for younger audiences on political literacy and emotional intelligence.
Policymakers gain a scientific basis to consider the long-term emotional impact of current legislation on the next generation of voters.
Securing the future of liberal democracy by rebuilding institutional trust among young people and preventing the generational entrenchment of political polarization.
Successful execution of the €3M budget; zero-audit findings; ratio of research output to funds allocated; number of institutional partners providing co-investment.
Horizon Europe Grant; institutional infrastructure and administrative support from 5 universities/agencies.
Financial planning and quarterly auditing; resource optimization for pan-European surveys; management of intellectual property and open-access data sustainability.
Detailed financial statements; audited reports; high-value research assets (databases) that attract further academic and institutional investment.
Guaranteed financial security for a large international team of researchers for the 36-month project duration.
Demonstration of a sustainable investment model in social sciences, showing that public funding can generate high-value intellectual capital and policy-stable environments that attract further territorial investment.