Dick Pels
DICK PELS is a Dutch sociologist and freelance political writer. In previous lives, he was Professor of Sociology and Communications at Brunel University in London; Chair of the left-liberal think-tank, Waterland; and Director of Bureau de Helling, the Dutch Green research foundation. Among his English books are Unhastening Science (2003), The Intellectual as Stranger (2000) and Property and Power: A Study in Intellectual Rivalry (1998). Since then, he has written a number of books (in Dutch) about Pim Fortuyn, national identity, the economy of honour, politics and religion, and the challenge of populism in Europe. He also writes and performs songs in the folk-blues genre and lives on the historic yacht Nymphaea. See further information about Dick on his website www.dickpels.nl
ABOUT “A Heart for Europe”
European civilisation is the never-ending quest for a more gentle, more relaxed, less dangerous society: a society in which people are no longer afraid of each other and themselves. But Europe currently faces a ‘perfect storm’ of populist nationalism, Russian revanchism, neoliberal financial havoc, religious terrorism and refugee chaos. Facing these violent challenges, we urgently need to rethink our ideals of peace, freedom, democracy, sustainability and the good life. In this book, Dick Pels makes a valiant attempt to regain the original passion behind the European project, and to rescue the idea of a civilised European patriotism from the politics of fear which is conducted by both right-wing and left-wing nationalists.
REVIEWS of “A Heart for Europe”
“A Heart for Europe is one of those rare books that helps you see Europe in a new way. It is compelling, authoritative and highly perceptive.”
– Molly Scott Cato (Green MEP for South West England)
“This essay offers a welcome relief in times of nationalist and populist Euro-scepticism. A must-read.”
– Dirk Verhofstadt (Liberales, the Belgian independent liberal think-tank)