Narratives and Counter-Narratives of Populism in Europe

Abstract

The wave of electoral success of populist parties across Europe has radically changed the political panorama in the continent over the last decade, culminating in the political struggle for the 2019 European Parliament elections, which saw an unprecedented success by populist parties, but nevertheless resulted in the overall victory of what could be defined an “anti-populist block”. Populism is impacting the political life of Europe in manifold ways, for instance by modifying the balance of power at national and supra-national level, and by challenging European and national public debate agenda. However, political and social forces are reacting to populism, sometimes in an attempt to adapt to the new political environment, sometimes actively engaging in an anti-populist effort. This panel aims at exploring some reactions to populism, both at the institutional level and at the level of civil society. It looks at how different political forces discursively construct anti-populism in response to populist narratives. In particular, papers delve into the reactions to populism in the European Parliament. It is shown how populism has pushed non-populist MEPs and political groups closer together, by offering them the common ground of an “anti-populist” identity. Moreover, it is investigated how Euroscepticism (a trait shared by several populist parties in Europe) has been the major factor of politicization of the EU institution over the last years, generating new political dynamics, especially inside the European Parliament. By no means, however, reactions to populism have been limited to European institutions. Using an example from the Italian context, this panel looks into how civil society has started to react to populism through grassroot movements such as the “Sardines”, a social movement which claims anti-populism as its main propulsive push to take to the squares. The central role of social media platforms in the organization and communication modes of this new grassroot movement is also explored. Overall, the panel aims at partially disentangle the modalities in which different political actors have reacted to populism, in particular at a discursive level.

Title	Details
Populism, Movements and Counter-Movements	View Paper Details
The Effects of Populism and Euroscepticism on the Politicization of the EU	View Paper Details
The Rise of the “6000 Sardine” Movement. A “Social” Movement Against Populism in Italy.	View Paper Details
“Enemies of the People”? Diverging Discourses of Sovereignty in Media Coverage of Brexit	View Paper Details
ACADEMICS & POPULIST POLITICAL FIGURES: Who and Why Certain American Professors Support the Populist Appeal of Trump	View Paper Details