1st Edition
Populism and New Patterns of Political Competition in Western Europe
This book analyses how party competition has adjusted to the success of populism in Western Europe, whether this is non-populists dealing with their populist competitors, or populists interacting with each other.
The volume focuses on Western Europe in the period 2007–2018 and considers both right-wing and left-wing populist parties. It critically assesses the concept and rise of populism, and includes case studies on Austria, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Denmark, Finland, the United Kingdom, Greece, and Italy. The authors apply an original typology of party strategic responses to political competitors, which allows them to map interactions between populist and non-populist parties in different countries. They also assess the links between ideology and policy, the goals of different populist parties, and how achieving power affects these parties. The volume provides important lessons for the study of political competition, particularly in the aftermath of a crisis and, as such, its framework can inform future research in the post-Covid-19 era.
This wide-ranging study will appeal to students and scholars of political science interested in populism and political competition; and will appeal to policy makers and politicians from across the political spectrum.
1. Introduction
Daniele Albertazzi, Donatella Bonansinga, and Davide Vampa
Part I
2. Populism and Democracy in Europe
Davide Vittori and Leonardo Morlino
3. The Strategies of Party Competition: A Typology
Daniele Albertazzi, Donatella Bonansinga, and Davide Vampa
Part II
4. Austria
Reinhard Heinisch, Fabian Habersack, and Franz Fallend
5. France
James Shields
6. Germany
Hartwig Pautz
7. The Netherlands
Tjitske Akkerman
8. Switzerland
Laurent Bernhard, Cecilia Biancalana, and Oscar Mazzoleni
9. Denmark
Susi Meret
10. Finland
Ann-Cathrine Jungar
11. The United Kingdom
Davide Vampa
12. Greece
Emmanouil Tsatsanis
13. Italy
Caterina Froio
14. Conclusion
Davide Vampa and Daniele Albertazzi
Biography
Daniele Albertazzi is Reader in Politics at the Department of Political Science and International Studies (POLSIS) of the University of Birmingham, UK.
Davide Vampa is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Aston University, UK.
'Contemporary populist parties present a unique challenge to liberal democracies. They have increasingly exerted pressure on the established parties, forcing them to react in various ways. With its innovative analytical approach and wealth of empirical evidence, this is the best book to date to unravel the mutual interactions between the populist challengers, the political establishment, and each other.' — Hans-Georg Betz, Adjunct Professor of Political Science at the University of Zurich, Switzerland
'In this book Albertazzi and Vampa and their contributors have provided an important new contribution to the study of populism and contemporary party politics. The book deals with populism in the round, by addressing populism in all its forms and by looking at its effects on politics and party systems in Western Europe. Through concepts, cases studies and comparative contributions, this book will shape the study of populism in Western Europe.' — Paul Taggart, Professor of Politics at the University of Sussex, UK
'This comprehensive account of the impact of populism on party systems in Western Europe offers a nuanced and fine-grained analysis of the strategies that non-populist parties employ vis-à-vis their populist competitors. It demonstrates that non-populist parties draw upon a far greater range of tactics to counter the rise of populist parties than hitherto assumed, thus showing that diversity continues to characterise European party politics. Rich in theory and empirics, it is a worthwhile addition to the book collection of populism scholars.' — Sarah de Lange, Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands
'This is a highly original and excellent contribution to the literature on populism and party competition in Western European politics. The book volume is theoretically rich and contains important insights and strategies for how mainstream parties can respond to populist parties in Western Europe across ten countries. This book is a must read for scholars working in the field of populism and the book makes both a timely and important contribution to contemporary studies on populism. The book also provides a masterclass for how to conduct case studies and comparative analysis in European party politics.' — James F. Downes, Senior Fellow & Head of The Populism Research Unit, Centre for Analysis of the Radical Right, UK
