THE STAND OF POPULIST PARTIES ON THE EU

Populist parties are gaining momentum in countries across Europe. As voter turnout decreases, the influence of large mainstream parties is diminishing and the party structure is fragmenting. The profiles of the various populist movements in Europe are fundamentally different. They differ not only in their messages and their political affiliations to the left or the right and whether they take a moderate or hard line; their direct influence after election results and their potential for influence in the future through agenda setting are also significantly different.