From populism to a radical right agenda: the Finns Party in government 2015-2016

The Finns Party has fitted the ideal of populism theorized by Ernesto Laclau (2005), where populist parties seek to represent a wide range of political demands – examples of populist parties can be found in the mainstream and from the margins of the political spectrum. This kind of ideal is difficult to pursue in government, as Laclau himself acknowledged reflecting upon Peron’s experience back in Argentina from exile. Populists may find it particularly challenging to remain a unifying force when in government, particularly if the government seeks to carry out a strict austerity agenda. Drawing on the research project “Populism as Movement and Rhetoric” funded by the Academy of Finland (2012-2016), this paper discusses how the Finns Party in the Sipilä government moved from a Laclaudian populist politics to a more clearly radical-right anti-immigration and anti-feminist agenda. It examines compatibility of the Finns Party rhetoric or public images with the priorities of the government and the European-wide migration situation. Finally, it assesses the hegemonic effects of the Finns Party in Finnish politics during 2015 and 2016: mainstreaming their radical agenda through being in the government and losing their populist “edge”.