Photo by Christian Lue on Unsplash
Support for authoritarian parties across Europe stands at 26.9%, finds new Populism Index
The Authoritarian Populism Index published by Timbro and EPICENTER, finds that 26.9ercent of Europeans support authoritarian political parties both on the left and right wings of the political spectrum.
The main conclusions of the report are:
Average support for left and right wing parties advocating for authoritarian populist ideologies stands at almost 27pc, a historic high
Shared concerns about immigration have led to support for right wing authoritarianism and populism rising, while the radical left faces a steady decline.
Hungary, Italy, France, Greece, and Poland have the highest support for populist parties and provide warnings about embracing populist policies.
Malta, UK, Portugal, Luxembourg and Croatia rank lowest in support for populist parties.
Andreas Johansson Heinö, Publishing Director of Timbro and author of the report, said:”The new normal in Europe is to have an authoritarian populist party in the top three most popular parties in almost every country. The popularity of these parties often translates into political power, as the majority of European democracies have experienced populist parties in government.
Populist parties are inherently anti-establishment movements and united by their resistance to the political elites in their respective countries, but are otherwise a very diverse group of parties, including regarding their democratic credibility. Therefore, while the data show Europe-wide trends, each party has to be judged on its own merits.
Populism is more left-leaning today than it was twenty years ago, particularly concerning economic policy. This is evident both when it comes to a more protectionist view on trade policy and a staunch defence of a large and redistributive welfare state.
There are also tendencies towards shifts in views on the EU within populist parties. While these parties remain much more Eurosceptic than others, fewer advocate for withdrawal from the union, and several parties have moved towards a more pragmatic approach.”
Adam Bartha, Director of EPICENTER, said, “Timbro’s Authoritarian Populism Index is the most in-depth analysis of the political trends in Europe over the last four decades.”
“The Index offers crucial insights into the rise of authoritarian populism and provides a sobering reflection on the challenges facing liberal democracies. It’s not just data; it’s a stark assessment of the health of our democracies.”
“Authoritarian populism set back the legal framework and the economic progress of my home country, Hungary, by years, if not decades. This is why it is important to soberly assess the state of the rule of law and liberal democracy across Europe so we can ensure that EU member states stick to the path of economic progress and protect individual freedoms.”
