Miscellaneous
Dr. Daphne Halikiopoulou, Associate Professor at the at the University of Reading, and László Andor, FEPS Secretary General, analyse the results of the latest Populism Tracker published by FEPS and Policy Solutions. They consider “ups and downs” as the main trend of recent years, and warn against using the term “populist’ as an umbrella for all the anti-establishment political parties. This is not only about the distinction between Far Right and Radical Left. There are interesting regional patterns, like welfare chauvinism in the richer, mainly more Northern countries. Dr. Halikiopoulou also clarifies the difference between the Ethnic Far Right based on the concept of race, and the Nationalistic Radical Right, which often try to legitimise themselves as guardians of democracy rejecting any kind of immigration or cultural difference. Halikiopoulou and Andor elaborate on the responsibility of mainstream parties, especially when the Far Right manages to exploit the economic anxiety of the population when talking about migration. They conclude that even if much of the concerns populists are appealing to are absolutely real, the progressive answer from the centre-left has to be original, and not an imitation of the extremists.