Populism and the Europeanization of Political Competition

Abstract

The recent success of the left-wing and right-wing populist parties in the regional, national and European elections should not be too surprising given the rise of populism in Europe, especially in Western Europe, during the last two decades. The growth of populist parties and ideologies could be explained by numerous and various factors, such as disappointment with mainstream politics, deterioration of people’s socio-economic situation, perceived crises that their respective countries undergo, Islamophobia, increasing fear of immigration, etc. As far as the European Union is concerned, populism in many member states has also been fueled by the criticism surrounding the processes of European enlargement and integration. Undoubtedly, the 2008 financial and economic crisis and the current (still unsolved) migration crisis have contributed to the spread and consolidation, in many European countries, of popular sympathy towards populist ideologies. In addition to populist politicians’ rhetorically sophisticated discourse, increased media attention and coverage of populists may have also positively impacted on the degree of Europeans’ attachment and resonance with populism and populist themes. This is a very brief outline of the context in which populism has gradually thrived and gained ground, up to the point of scoring well in many electoral races, whether these are local, regional, national or European elections. What makes populism appealing to Europeans and why? How are populist themes covered by the media? Do media support or hinder populism? Why have some of Europe’s most renowned populist parties been more successful than others? These are but a few questions that we seek to provide answers for in this panel, which is included in the section What Europe? Researching Consequences of a Diverse Europeanization of National Public Spheres of the 2016 ECPR General Conference in Prague. The Panel aims to provide an invaluable opportunity for interdisciplinary dialogue and welcomes papers that address the consolidation and diversification of populist discourse and ideologies across the European Union and their performance in political competitions.

Title	Details
Populism framing Europe: A Comparative Study of Right-Wing and Left-Wing allegedly Populist Parties	View Paper Details
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Populism of the Right in Poland	View Paper Details
Explaining the Success of the Populist Five Star Movement at the 2013 Italian General Election: An Analysis of the Role Played by the Anti-EU Rhetoric and the Traditional Media	View Paper Details
What it Takes: Internal and External Factors determining Electoral Success and Longevity of Right-Wing Populist Parties	View Paper Details
Young, Educated and Eurosceptic? On Public Attitudes to the EU in Poland	View Paper Details