Populism And The Politicization Of The COVID-19 Crisis In Europe

Description

This edited book provides a first overview of how populist parties responded to the COVID-19 pandemic crisis in Europe. Although populism would normally benefit from crisis situations (e.g., political representation or economic crises), the peculiar nature of this health crisis does not make the benefit obvious. For it to be exploited, a crisis must be politicized. While populists have tried to take advantage of the crisis situation, the impossibility of taking ownership of the COVID-19 issue has made the crisis hard to be exploited. In particular, populists in power have tried to depoliticize the pandemic, whereas radical right-populists in opposition tried to politicize the crisis, though failing to gain the relevant public support. This book considers populist parties in eight European democracies, providing a framework of analysis for their responses to the COVID-19 crisis. It does so by engaging with the literature on crisis and populism from a theoretical perspective and through the lens of the politicization process. Acknowledgments......Page 5 Contents......Page 6 Contributors......Page 8 Abbreviations......Page 10 List of Figures......Page 12 List of Tables......Page 14 1 Introduction......Page 16 2 Crisis and Populism......Page 17 3 Role of Crisis in Contemporary Populism......Page 19 4 Politicization of the Pandemic Crisis......Page 23 5 Aims, Framework and Structure of the Book......Page 25 References......Page 28 1 Introduction......Page 32 2 Political Context......Page 33 3 COVID-19 Diffusion and Political Measures......Page 35 4 Populist Discourse at the Time of COVID-19......Page 37 5 The Politicization of COVID-19 Issue by Populists......Page 40 References......Page 44 1 Introduction......Page 46 2 Political Context......Page 47 3 COVID-19 Diffusion and Political Measures......Page 49 4 Populist Discourse at the Time of COVID-19......Page 51 5 The Politicization of COVID-19 Issue by Populists......Page 54 6 Conclusion......Page 57 References......Page 59 1 Introduction......Page 60 2 Political Context......Page 61 3 COVID-19 Diffusion and Political Measures......Page 63 4 Populist Discourse at the Time of COVID-19......Page 65 5 The Politicization of COVID-19 Issue by Populists......Page 68 6 Conclusion......Page 71 References......Page 72 1 Introduction......Page 74 2 Political Context......Page 75 3 COVID-19 Diffusion and Political Measures......Page 77 4 Populist Discourse at the Time of COVID-19......Page 79 5 The Politicization of COVID-19 Issue by Populists......Page 82 6 Conclusion......Page 85 References......Page 86 1 Introduction......Page 87 2 Political Context......Page 88 3 COVID-19 Diffusion and Political Measures......Page 90 4 Populist Discourse at the Time of COVID-19......Page 93 5 The Politicization of COVID-19 Issue by Populists......Page 96 6 Conclusion......Page 99 References......Page 100 1 Introduction......Page 101 2 Political Context......Page 102 3 COVID-19 Diffusion and Political Measures......Page 104 4 Populist Discourse at the Time of COVID-19......Page 107 5 The Politicization of COVID-19 Issue by Populists......Page 110 6 Conclusion......Page 113 References......Page 114 1 Introduction......Page 115 2 Political Context......Page 116 3 COVID-19 Diffusion and Political Measures......Page 117 4 Populist Discourse at the Time of COVID-19......Page 121 5 The Politicization of the COVID-19 Issue by Populists......Page 124 6 Conclusion......Page 126 References......Page 127 1 Introduction......Page 129 2 Political Context......Page 130 3 COVID-19 Diffusion and Political Measures......Page 132 4 Populist Discourse at the Time of COVID-19......Page 135 5 The Politicization of COVID-19 Issue by Populists......Page 138 6 Conclusion......Page 141 References......Page 142 10 Between Mitigation and Dramatization: The Effect of the COVID-19 Crisis on Populists’ Discourses and Strategies......Page 144 1 Who Has Benefited from the Crisis? Citizens’ Support, Public Relevance, and Windows of Opportunity......Page 145 2 The Changing Relevance of the Key Elements of Populism in the Light of (De)Politicization of the COVID-19 Issue......Page 149 3 Crises as a Catalyst for Change, Populists as Entrepreneurs of Crises......Page 153 References......Page 156