Roundtable on Populism in Times of Covid19 (with D. Halikiopoulou, M. Rooduijn & C. Rovira Kaltwasser)

Speakers: Daphne Halikiopoulou (University of Reading, UK), Matthijs Rooduijn (University of Amsterdam, The Netherlands), and Cristobal Rovira Kaltwasser (Universidad Diego Portales, Chile)

 Populist parties are known to profit from crises. This appears, however, not to be the case during the current Covid-19 crisis. Overall, populist parties have not increased their electoral support since the onset of the pandemic. Moreover, the response of populist parties to Covid-19 has been erratic at best. Some parties such as Forum for Democracy in the Netherlands attempt to appeal to Covid-19 deniers, while others such as the Italian League place their support behind those business who have suffered the most because of the crisis.

Covid-19 raises some crucial questions regarding the future of populism. Does Covid-19, as some have claimed, mark the end of populism? Or will populist parties respond by providing credible alternatives to current government policies? Will Covid-19 change the nature of populism, forcing populist parties to alter their ideological profile in order to adapt to the current political climate?

If you have missed this session, please find the YouTube video at: http://populism-seminar.com/past-events-videos/