Understanding the Emotional Dynamics in Politics

The results of the EU Parliament election this summer revealed a growing preference for far-right parties, especially among young voters. Can a polarised Europe overcome its political anger and pride to engage in rational discussion and regain trust in liberal and democratic values?

With the MORES project (Moral Emotions in Politics: How they unite, how they divide), experts from nine European institutions have received funding from the European Union to investigate how emotions such as anger, shame, and pride shape politics and contribute to both dividing and uniting society.

MORES, a three-year innovation project, is launching its website, Facebook, YouTube, X, and Instagram channels today. This online launch includes the glossary of moral emotions, featuring a growing collection of explanations on emotions and their political meanings, along with a database of experts from the MORES project. Sign up for the project newsletter to be the first to know about project results.

MORES's objectives go beyond research scrutiny.

“We aim to empower individuals and institutions by providing them with knowledge and tools to navigate emotional landscapes, paving the way for productive political debates,” political scientist Zsolt Boda says.

An expert in policymaking and director-general of the Budapest-based Centre for Social Sciences, Hungarian Research Network (HUN-REN CSS), Boda leads MORES.

Over the next two and a half years, decision-makers will receive policy recommendations from MORES to tackle citizens' emotional needs. Researchers will provide innovative resources to citizens, helping them develop emotional resilience against divisive discourse. MORES will grant free access to a range of outputs, including scientific articles and several tools.

The dual power of moral emotions

MORES’s research derives from a scientific idea about emotions, called moral emotions. Project scholars state that moral emotions are how individuals emotionally react to larger societal concerns. This happens when individuals feel anger over politicians’ behaviour that they consider being wrong or unjust. Shame, pride, regret, or guilt are also deeply moralised feelings.

Moral emotions can spark democratic action. Take, for example, the Spanish Indignados movement. In 2011, the grassroots social and political group stormed the Puerta del Sol square in Madrid to protest against economic inequality, austerity measures, and political corruption. It didn’t take long for other indignados across Spain and Europe to follow suit.

“Feelings of frustration and anger have ignited these protests, highlighting the power of emotions in mobilising citizens for social and political change,” Zsolt Boda says.

But moral emotions can be manipulated, exploited, and exaggerated by political leaders and actors. This is evident in the rise of xenophobia and the demonisation of minority groups seen in some political campaigns. The rise of far-right and populist parties across Europe suggests voters are embracing some of these extremist views. “This certainly can undermine democratic values and is the reason why we say moral emotions have the power to both unite and divide society,” Boda adds. MORES will create knowledge and tools to promote a balanced approach and foster constructive political debates.

A team approach

The project coordinator Zsolt Boda leads a distinguished team of researchers from HUN-REN CSS and the consortium behind MORES, carried out with leading European institutions such as European University Institute (Italy), European University Viadrina (Germany), University of Lorraine (France), Adam Mickiewicz University (Poland), Eötvös Loránd University (ELTE), European Citizen Action Service (Belgium), and Game in Society (France).

Scholars in psychology, political science, and communication studies, among other disciplines, are employing cutting-edge methodologies, including artificial intelligence, to conduct research on moral emotions and its societal implications. Several scholars at MORES have extensive experience in EU-funded projects or have won multiple European Research Council grants, which are considered to be among the most prestigious in Europe. Learn more about the elite minds behind MORES on the database of experts.

Media inquiries

The MORES project kicked off on 1 January 2024 and will run until December 2026. For inquiries, email [email protected].

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