European social movements have been central to European history, politics, society and culture, and have had a global reach and impact. Yet they have rarely been taken on their own terms, and are typically considered in the US as counterpoints to the US experience. EUDO Cafe, the European Union Democracy Observatory of the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies at the European University Institute, a place for discussing ideas on the challenges facing democracy in today’s Europe, hosts a debate on the latest book by ECIA Fellow Cristina Flesher Fominaya “Understanding European movements: new social movements, global justice struggles, anti-austerity protests” edited by Routledge, London.