Dick Pels (1948) is a sociologist and freelance political writer. In previous lives he was Professor of Sociology & Communications at Brunel University, London, chairman of the left-liberal think tank Waterland and director of Bureau de Helling, the research foundation of the Dutch green party ‘Groen Links”. He is currently translating his most recent book Van welk Europa houden wij? (2015) into English (A Heart for Europe, 2015).