From Transformative to Reactionary: The Shifting Tides of Discontent and Populism in Southern Europe

Abstract

In recent decades, southern Europe has constituted a preeminent locus for the study of shifting political trends in the “post-political” West. In the wake of recession, corruption, neoliberal austerity, etc., southern Europe came to be widely regarded as a powerful laboratory for new forms of progressive politics. In Greece, the far left constituted itself as a radical actor facing austerity in the name of the people. In Spain, the new populist left quickly became a key institutional actor. In Italy, M5S proposed a new form of digital populism that sought to rethink political representation radically. In Portugal, the far left became a part of the governing majority for the first time in history, serving as a bulwark of social rights. However, today we see the tide turning. In Spain and Portugal, the populist right has become the rising star, with progressive politics seeing its momentum dramatically depleted. In Italy, Giorgia Meloni has redefined the post-fascist space as a successful contender that now leads the most right-wing government the country has seen since World War II. In Greece, the pitfalls of anti-austerity politics led to a new normal where the mainstream right governs in an increasingly authoritarian manner, while struggling to keep the extreme right at bay. In other contexts, like Turkey, authoritarianism has been steadily on the rise in the past decade. More broadly, the public debate as well as scholarship have increasingly put the emphasis on trends towards more illiberal, authoritarian, or polarising worldviews among southern European citizens. Placing emphasis on these trends, this panel will explore why and how widespread discontent in southern Europe has given way to the decline of formerly rising progressive energies, and the increasing power of reactionary groups and ideas. It places the emphasis on a nuanced understanding of citizens attitudes and elites’ discourses, seeking to unpack the roots and implications of (rising) reactionary politics and (declining) transformative politics. It especially welcomes submissions on these topics, while being broadly open to contributions that explore discontent, populism, authoritarianism, and democratic values in this geographic context.

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