Institutional Roles and Radical Right-Wing Populism : How Proximity to Power Affects Party Discourse

This book examines how the proximity to government, and different institutional roles – being in opposition, government or supporting a minority government – influence European radical right-wing populist (RRWP) parties’ discourse.

This book examines how the proximity to government and different institutional roles–being in opposition, government or supporting a minority government–influence European radical right-wing populist (RRWP) parties’ discourse. Analysing case studies of different institutional roles – Finns Party (opposition), Fidesz (government) and the Danish People’s Party (supporting a minority government) – the book presents how the framing of the RRWP’s ideology and policies adapt to decision-making and power. It investigates whether there are alternative factors which better explain the possible changes in tone – such as domestic or foreign events – and finds that the party discourse is such a robust and identifying character of the RRWP parties that the different institutional roles do not moderate as previously thought. This book is of key interest to scholars and students of the radical right, party politics, populism, policymaking and, more broadly, European and comparative politics.