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The Unstoppable Far Right? | NECE - Networking European Citizenship Education | bpb.de

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The Unstoppable Far Right? How established parties' communication of European affairs affects the electoral advances of right-wing populist parties

Dr. Timo Lochocki

/ 1 Minute zu lesen

This paper illustrates the strategies via which moderate European parties can reclaim voters from right-wing populist parties, as much as it shows in which way media reporting and public sentiments affects the electoral advances of anti-European political forces. Consequently, this study illustrates in detail how politicians, journalists and especially actors forging public opinion either hamper or benefit the rise of nationalist right-wing populist parties. Understanding these mechanisms and acting accordingly, is key for ensuring public support for European Integration.

Since 2010, the crises in the euro area have put European affairs at the forefront of national political debates. As a first step to improve the functioning of the European Monetary Union, there has been a gradual deepening of integration through financial rescue mechanisms, increased economic and fiscal policy coordination. This has led to a broad discussion featuring both advocates of a more integrated Europe and proponents of a re-nationalization of key policy areas. Commentators frequently consider these debates as triggers for the rise of right-populist support in recent years. However, some right-wing populist parties actually lost voter support in the 2014 European elections, which challenges these assumptions. These facts raise the question how the electoral gains and losses of right-populist parties can actually be explained.

A detailed media analysis of national debates on European affairs from 2009 to 2014 in four countries and a Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) identify several decisive factors for the rise and fall of right-wing populist parties. While other studies suggest that right-populist parties’ advances are contingent upon socio-economic conditions or actual European policies, we find that it is key how moderate pro-European parties communicate European matters to the public. A cross-country analysis including Germany, the Netherlands, the UK and Sweden specifically demonstrates that right-wing populists can only increase their share of votes if moderate political actors have already legitimized populist campaign topics. The paper further shows which factors need to be given in order to then decrease public support for anti-EU right-wing populist forces.

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The German Marschall Fund of the United States (GMF), Berlin, Germany E-Mail: E-Mail Link: tlochocki@gmfus.org Ph.: +49 3028 881-314