Populism in Western Europe

In recent years populist movements and parties have become increasingly successful around the globe. In Western Europe populism has often been fused successfully with anti-immigrant appeals by parties such as the FPÖ (Freedom Party) in Austria or the PVV (Party for Freedom) in the Netherlands. Yet in Latin America populism is mostly linked with a left wing ideology illustrated by the Venezuelan president Hugo Chávez. More recently, the Tea Party and the Occupy movement in the United States have shown the potential of populist bottom-up mobilization.

This book develops our understanding of the breeding ground of populist parties through an investigation of which socio-demographic characteristics and attitudes in general contribute to populist voting at the individual level. Drawing on both quantitative and qualitative approaches and using case studies from Germany, The Netherlands and Belgium, it explains who votes for populist parties and for what reasons.