Croatian youth and populism: the mixed methods analysis of the populism 'breeding ground' among the youth in Zagreb (original) (raw)
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A number of recent international studies have reported the growing electoral success of populist parties among younger age groups. In this study, authors analysed the " breeding ground " for populism among the youth in Zagreb using the results of the Memory, Youth, Political Legacy and Civic Engagement (MYPLACE) project in Croatia. A mixed methods approach was employed with thematic analysis of 61 semi-structured interviews and regression analysis on a survey sample data of 1,216 young people aged 16–25. Qualitative analysis indicated analogies to Cas Mudde's three core concepts of populism (the " good people " , the " bad elite " and the " general will ") among interviewees' opinions. In addition, common ideological features of populism (nationalism and radical egalitarianism) were to a degree present among the interviewees' attitudes. In the quantitative part of this paper, the authors narrowed the analysis of populism to the radical right variant of populism, and – given the lack of prominent populist actors in Croatia – to support of ideas rather than political parties. The attitude towards a political system with a strong leader not constrained by parliament was chosen as the outcome since it holds significant populist potential in contemporary democracies. Analyses showed the connection of the anti-elite, anti-systemic attitudes – as well as authoritarianism and a few right-wing political attitudes – with the strong leader preference. Both qualitative and quantitative results of this study indicated that the " breeding ground " for populism exists among the youth in Zagreb. Additional research is required to further examine that complex and previously unexplored topic.
Populism in Croatia: The Curious Case of The Bridge (Most)
The main goal of the paper is to establish to which extent it is justified to label a newly established Croatian party The Bridge (Most) a populist party. in order to answer this question, the paper relies on theoretical, methodological and empirical insights from contemporary literature on populism. The study is based on inclusive approach to populism and accordingly developed categories for content analysis. The analysis only partially confirms the assumption that Most is a populist option. The authors suggest that Most is best described as a combination of centrist populism and an anti-establishment reform party. They suggest that populism research would benefit from distinguishing between anti-elitist and anti-establishment position of parties and politicians. finally, they argue that the ‘curiosity’ of Most stems primarily from their awkward and paradoxical relationship towards Croatian political elite: Most’s politicians criticise political elite for being incompetent and corrupt, while at the same time advocating alliance with this same elite in order to implement reforms and bring prosperity to Croatian society.
NATIONALISM AND POPULISM IN 21ST CENTURY CROATIA: CONSEQUENCES OF ENCOUNTER
Faces of Populism in Central and South-Eastern Europe, edited by Haris Dajč and Natasza Styczyńska , 2023
This chapter is focused on the encounter of nationalism and populism or precisely right-wing populism in the political life of Croatia in the 21st century. In this analysis, we first rely on the results of our content analysis and critical discourse analysis of Croatian parties’/movements’ discourses from the fall of the Berlin wall to the 21st century, which we compare with the later period (2000–2020). Based on a critical assessment of neglecting right-wing populism in the recent research of Croatian social scientists who use the method of content analysis and focus only on election periods, we will re-examine and fulfil their analysis with a historical insight of the political narrative that deals with nationalism. In this chapter, special attention will be put on the Homeland Movement/HM (Domovinski pokret) and the initiative ‘On the Behalf of the Family’/OBF (U ime obitelji).
Transforming Populism -From Protest Vote to Ruling Ideology: The Case of Serbia
The new politics of decisionism, 2019
In this chapter, I will depart from fruitful academic field that was mostly devoted to Western European populism, with the intention to adapt theoretical frameworks to be more applicable for transitional and post-communist societies. This step will be the basis for the analysis of post-communist phenomenon – ruling populist parties. The cases of Hungary, Poland and Serbia are frequently used as examples of this trend and their analysis raises questions about relation between populism and democratic performances of transitional post-communist countries. It seems that significant part of Fidesz, Prawo i Sprawiedliwość, or SNS - Serbian Progressive Party strength and endurance can be linked to intense campaigns against the opposition, independent media, civil society and other scrutinizing mechanisms of liberal democracies (or emerging liberal democracies, in many cases). Therefore, there is a need to question if this illiberal way of ruling is immanent to populists’ understanding of democracy, and whether it is the only possible outcome of transformation of populism from the opposition to the position stage?
Populism from Below in the Balkans
The last several years have witnessed a so-called “political earthquake” of populist successes in consolidated democracies throughout Europe. Populist movements and parties have manifested themselves most markedly through right-wing agendas including opposition to modernization, globalization, regional integration, immigration, appeals to working class fears of social decline, and resentment of elites. Consequently an entire body of literature has examined the basic tenets of populism, populist strategies and rhetoric, determinants of its success, and its effects on people, parties, and polities. Much of the social research on the issue however, both historical and contemporary, has been excessively focused on populism among elites and institutions. By applying a relatively narrow methodological approach, most of the existing literature is leaving the agency of individuals and social groups and their representation largely unproblematized. In this special edition, we thus attempt to draw attention to an issue generally overlooked by researchers: populism from below.
Political populism from the fringe to the mainstream: A conceptual framework
2021
POPREBEL Working Paper no. 4: Political populism from the fringe to the mainstream: A conceptual framework. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 822682. POPREBEL Working Paper series POPREBEL (Populist rebellion against modernity in 21st-century Eastern Europe: neo-traditionalism and neo-feudalism) is a large Horizon 2020-funded research project on the rise of populism in Central and Eastern Europe. The aim of the project is to describe the phenomenon, create a typology of its various manifestations, reconstruct trajectories of its growth and decline, investigate its causes, interpret its meanings, diagnose its consequences and propose policy solutions. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 822682.The POPREBEL consortium comprises six universities – UCL (co-ordinatinginstitution), Universi...