Giorgos Venizelos
'Populism' and 'power' have an uneasy relationship. Key texts reveal three assumptions about populism's 'fate' in power: first, it becomes mainstream; second, it turns authoritarian; third, it fails/succeeds to implement policies. Giorgos Venizelos argues we must look beyond the myths about populism's content or outcomes, and turn instead to populism's function of constructing collective identities through discursive / affective performativity Read more
Pelin Ayan Musil
In the 2023 presidential and parliamentary elections, Turkish opposition parties suffered catastrophic defeat. Several factors contributed to their surprise victory in the recent local elections. Pelin Ayan Musil and Sultan Tepe argue that shifting from alliance to party-centred competition gave opposition parties a striking advantage – and laid bare the vulnerabilities of President Erdoğan’s political strategies Read more
Hakkı Taş
Recent data indicates that countries led by more populist leaders are less likely to have a military with veto power.  Hakkı Taş explores the populist centralisation of power that fosters control over the military, and the impact on civilian oversight Read more
Bengisu Savran
Recep Tayyip ErdoÄŸan's authoritarian AKP has governed Turkey for more than twenty years. The regime has consistently rolled back gender rights. Despite this, many women continue to vote for it. Why? Bengisu Savran suggests clientelism and welfare benefits may provide the answer Read more
Vladimir Bortun
Researchers have made significant advances over the past decade in making sense of right-wing populism. However, as this party family continues to win elections, scholars need to pay more attention to the class forces and material interests it represents, writes Vladimir Bortun Read more
Hazal Atay
Turkey is a textbook example of gender backlash. Hazal Atay explains the structure and strategies employed by the anti-gender movement in Turkey Read more
Abdullah Esin
The ruling regime in Turkey has created its own unique nationalistic security discourse. Abdullah Esin and Mehmet Yaşar Altundağ argue that Turkey’s rising defence industry, while increasing Turkey's military capacity, also uses techno-nationalist rhetoric to consolidate its voter base and legitimise authoritarian practices Read more
Claire Hamilton
Recent protests against the housing of single male asylum seekers in Ireland highlight the crucial role played by security in far-right discourse. Claire Hamilton argues that we need to think more about the ‘dangerous Others’ at the heart of populism’s appeal Read more
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