Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy

International Populism ◽

10.1093/oso/9780197500859.003.0004 ◽

2020 ◽

pp. 93-126

Author(s):

Duncan McDonnell ◽

Annika Werner

Keyword(s):

Direct Democracy ◽

Radical Right ◽

Chapel Hill ◽

Five Star Movement ◽

At Home

This chapter examines the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group which in 2014 contained two radical right populist parties, UKIP and the Sweden Democrats, alongside the populist (but not radical right) Italian Five-Star Movement. Like the previous chapter, it uses Chapel Hill data and interviews to explain the group’s formation. The chapter shows that the Sweden Democrats also conform to the “respectable radicals” model, seeing themselves on a journey from local pariah status to respectability via their European alliances. UKIP, however, was less concerned with these domestic respectability benefits. Its main aim, once satisfied that an alliance with a specific foreign party would not damage its reputation at home, was to construct what UKIP interviewees themselves called “a marriage of convenience” in order to secure parliamentary group spoils (financial and administrative resources, along with the visibility offered by extra parliamentary speaking time).

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Capitalising upon Globalisation

10.3366/edinburgh/9781474423564.003.0003 ◽

2018 ◽

Author(s):

David M. Webber

Keyword(s):

Political Economy ◽

Foreign Policy ◽

International Development ◽

Macroeconomic Policy ◽

Domestic Policy ◽

Policy Decisions ◽

Gordon Brown ◽

Development Policies ◽

At Home

Having mapped out in the previous chapter, New Labour’s often contradictory and even ‘politically-convenient’ understanding of globalisation, chapter 3 offers analysis of three key areas of domestic policy that Gordon Brown would later transpose to the realm of international development: (i) macroeconomic policy, (ii) business, and (iii) welfare. Since, according to Brown at least, globalisation had resulted in a blurring of the previously distinct spheres of domestic and foreign policy, it made sense for those strategies and policy decisions designed for consumption at home to be transposed abroad. The focus of this chapter is the design of these three areas of domestic policy; the unmistakeable imprint of Brown in these areas and their place in building of New Labour’s political economy. Strikingly, Brown’s hand in these policies and the themes that underpinned them would again reappear in the international development policies explored in much greater detail later in the book.

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Anti-populism during the Yellow Vest protests: From combatting the Rassemblement National to dealing with street populists

The British Journal of Politics and International Relations ◽

10.1177/1369148120974014 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 136914812097401

Author(s):

Soraya Hamdaoui

Keyword(s):

Social Movement ◽

Direct Democracy ◽

Radical Right ◽

The Political ◽

Political Elites ◽

Protest Movement ◽

The One ◽

Ordinary Citizens ◽

Populist Party

This article analyses the anti-populist strategy of La République en marche! (LREM) during the Yellow Vest protests by comparing it with the one used against the Rassemblement National (RN), France’s main populist party. It argues that while the political elites of LREM have ostracised and strongly demonised the RN to contain its progression, their reaction to the populist protest movement was more balanced and cautious. As they were facing ordinary citizens asking for more fiscal justice and direct democracy rather than radical right politicians of the RN, LREM behaved in a more conciliatory way and softened their rhetoric of demonisation. Overall, the article distinguishes two types of anti-populism: an adversarial one to face a populist party and an accommodative one to deal with a populist social movement.

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Reputation versus office: Why populist radical right governmental participation has differed between Sweden and Denmark

International Political Science Review ◽

10.1177/01925121211020592 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 019251212110205

Author(s):

Duncan McDonnell ◽

Annika Werner ◽

Malin Karlsson

Keyword(s):

Public Opinion ◽

Radical Right ◽

Social Acceptability ◽

People's Party ◽

Populist Radical Right ◽

Chapel Hill ◽

The Social ◽

Expert Surveys

Sweden and Denmark have presented contrasting relationships between centre-right and populist radical right (PRR) parties. In Sweden, the centre-right has refused cooperation with the Sweden Democrats (Sverigedemokraterna) (SD), even when this cost the centre-right office. However, in Denmark, coalitions led by centre-right parties have cooperated with the Danish People’s Party (Dansk Folkeparti) (DF) on multiple occasions. Through a controlled comparison, we examine what explains these different outcomes. Using Chapel Hill Expert Surveys and public opinion data, we firstly look at the policy congruence between parties and the social acceptability of cooperation. We then examine interview material with representatives from centre-right and PRR parties in Sweden and Denmark to see their explanations of cooperation and non-cooperation. We conclude that, while the office goals of Danish centre-right parties, along with the policy focus and uncontroversial past of DF, explain that case, the reputation and past of SD has precluded a similar outcome.

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