Jamie Gillies
Populist impulses are having a growing impact on the political landscape of several Western-style democracies. Jamie Gillies, Vincent Raynauld and Angela Wisniewski unpack the effects of populism in Canada, arguing that populist strategies grew as public faith in government messaging eroded during the Covid-19 pandemic. Read more
Jan Philipp Thomeczek
Jan Philipp Thomeczek argues that European left-wing populist parties become more moderate as a consequence of their participation in government. Here, he draws on recent examples from Spain, Greece and Germany. Read more
Donatella Bonansinga
Is populism ‘emotional’ and mainstream politics ‘rational’? Donatella Bonansinga argues that the divide between rationality and emotionality is rooted in cultural misperceptions, and all politics can be ‘emotional’. Populism is peculiarly emotional, because it taps in to very specific affective states, with key differences between left and right Read more
Flora Baumgartner
Left-wing German politician Sahra Wagenknecht is launching a new party, Bündnis Sahra Wagenknecht – für Vernunft und Gerechtigkeit (– for Reason and Justice). With its likely ‘left-authoritarian’ agenda, BSW looks poised to shake up the German system. Flora Baumgartner analyses the party's profile, support base and prospects, placing it in the context of broader European developments Read more
Jan Philipp Thomeczek
The Left (Die Linke) in Germany is one of the most established left-wing populist parties in Europe. But it may soon experience a split, Jan Philipp Thomeczek argues, as Sahra Wagenknecht may form her own party. He places this within the German historical context, and within that of populist movements more broadly Read more
Dani Filc
Are populist movements necessarily left or right? Dani Filc argues that populism is too complex a phenomenon to easily fit easily into the conventional political dimensions of left and right Read more
Demian Iglesias Seifert
Javier Milei's victory in the primary elections is a sign that Argentina, previously a bastion of left-wing populism, is joining the global trend of right-wing populism. Argentina, writes Demian Iglesias Seifert, is now following the patterns we see in Brazil and El Salvador. Strong support from young men catapulted the La Libertad Avanza leader to first place in the primaries Read more
Stijn van Kessel
Mattia Zulianello and Petra Guasti are right to point out that populism is too often conflated with nativist politics or seen as a feature of radical left and right-wing parties only. Nonetheless, Stijn van Kessel argues that populism is not equally compatible with any host ideology Read more
The Loop
Cutting-edge analysis showcasing the work of the political science discipline at its best.
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