Ugo Gaudino
Left-wing populists tend to be inclusionary and egalitarian towards ethnic minorities. ButâŻUgo Gaudino points out that their defence of Muslim communitiesâ religious grievances often clashes with their secular agenda. While they may de-securitise Islam, they frame other issues and groups as urgent security threats, in line with the populist friend-versus-enemy conception of politics Read more
Selina Mabrouki
Populist leaders donât just claim to represent the people â theyâŻembodyâŻthem. Through strongman toughness or maternal guardianship, populists model idealised versions of a nationâs citizens, and they naturalise exclusion.âŻSelina MabroukiâŻshows how contemporary populist leaders exploit gendered role models as tools of emotional persuasion Read more
Ilana Hartikainen
Why did Viktor OrbĂĄn bring pickles to Parliament? What made Kamala Harris lean into 'brat summer'? And why do politicians flood social media with pets, food, and everyday objects? Ilana Hartikainen and Zea Szebeni argue these aren't random quirks: they're examples of 'banana populism', where politicians build powerful emotional connections with voters through whimsical, mundane imagery Read more
Fabian Habersack
Political parties often adjust their policies to address emerging issues, or to attract â or regain â support. However, warns Fabian Habersack, such strategic pivots carry significant risks, especially if parties misjudge their electoral potential Read more
Giovanni Capoccia
In calling a snap election Emmanuel Macron aimed to achieve 'clarity' on the will of French voters after defeat of his presidential list in the European elections by Marine Le Pen's far-right Rassemblement National (RN). Giovanni Capoccia explores the wisdom of this move in light of the outcome Read more
Catherine E. De Vries
Following the European election results, Ursula von der Leyen faces a rocky road to confirmation as President of the Commission for a second term, writes Catherine E. De Vries. The key question is how she is going to be able to satisfy very different demands from the various groupings. Read more
James F. Downes
James F. Downes argues that elections to the European Parliament will likely lead to record representation for populist far-right parties. Lack of unity and ideological divisions, however, will make it difficult for the far right to wield any real power Read more
Donatella Bonansinga
Is populism âemotionalâ and mainstream politics ârationalâ? Donatella Bonansinga argues that the divide between rationality and emotionality is rooted in cultural misperceptions, and all politics can be âemotionalâ. Populism is peculiarly emotional, because it taps in to very specific affective states, with key differences between left and right Read more
Š 2026 European Consortium for Political Research. The ECPR is a charitable incorporated organisation (CIO) number 1167403 ECPR, Harbour House, 6-8 Hythe Quay, Colchester, CO2 8JF, United Kingdom.
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.
