The Impact of Populism on European Institutions and Civil Society: Discourses, Practices, and Policies (Palgrave Studies in European Political Sociology)

What is the impact of populism on the EU? How did the EU institutions and civil society react to the recent rise of populist parties? To answer such relevant questions and understand populism in terms of ideas, political outcomes, and social dynamics, academia needs to engage with institutional actors, civil society organizations, and policy makers. By bringing together academics, members of European institutions and agencies, and leaders of civil society organizations, this edited volume bridges the gap between research and practice. It explores how populism impacted on European institutions and civil society and investigates their reactions and strategies to overcome the challenges posed by populists. This collection is organized into three main sections, i.e., general European governance; European Parliament and Commission; European organized civil society. Overall, the volume unveils how the populist threat was perceived within the EU institutions and NGOs and discusses the strategies they devised to react and how these were implemented in institutional and public communication. Carlo Ruzza is Professor of Political Sociology at the University of Trento, Italy. He has widely published on radical right populist parties and political movements in southern Europe, particularly in Italy, and on civil society advocacy roles. His current research interests focus on civil society organisations specialising in anti-discrimination and human rights policy at the EU level and the impact of populism on EU institutions. Carlo Berti is Research Fellow at the School of International Studies, University of Trento, Italy. He holds a PhD in Communication Studies from Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand. His current research focuses on populism and anti-populism in the European Union. His work has been published in international journals such as Journalism Studies and Media, Culture & Society. Paolo Cossarini is Postdoctoral Researcher at the Department of Culture and Learning, Aalborg University, Denmark. His research focuses on populism and nationalism, Italian and Spanish politics, protest movements, and civil society organisations. He is co-editor of Populism and Passions. Democratic Legitimacy after Austerity (2019) Preface Contents Notes on Contributors List of Figures List of Tables The Impact of Populism on the European Union: ‘The People’ and the Brussels Bubble Tracing the Roots of Populism and the EU The EU Institutions Facing the Populist Challenge Populist Forces and Civil Society Bridging the Theory/practice Divide: The Structure of the Book Bibliography The European Union Facing the Populist Wave The Populist-Eurosceptic Mix: Conceptual Distinctions, Ideational Linkages and Internal Differentiation Introduction Populism and Euroscepticism: Two Distinct Concepts Populism Euroscepticism Linkage Nodes: The Ideational Sources of the Populist-Euroscepticism Mix Internal Differentiation: Left-Wing vs. Right-Wing Variants of Populist Euroscepticism Conclusions References Populism and European Institutions: A Historical Perspective The European Project: An Introduction The First Phases of the European Project A New Start of the European Project and Its First Cleavage with European Citizens The Enlarged Political Arena of the European Project The Emergence of Populism in the European Union The Great Recession and Its Effects on Rising Populism The First Reaction of the European Union and the annus horribilis The Last Reaction of the European Union: A Conclusion References The Impact of Populism on European Institutions The Discursive Construction of Migration and Democracy in the European Parliament: A Model of Reciprocal Influence Between Populists and Non-populists Through Polarization and Fragmentation Introduction Methodology European Parliament Debates and Populism: What Are the Most Contested Issues? Polarization: Reinforcing the Blocs, Increasing the Distance Fragmentation: Eroding the Blocs, Decreasing the Distance Conclusions References The Politicisation of the European Union and the Role of the European Parliament: Opportunities, Risks and Limitations Defining the European Political Space in the Context of Constructive and Destructive Politicisation Politicisation of EU Gender Policies: The Political Dynamics in the European Parliament Committee on Women’s Rights and Gender Equality References The European Parliament’s Treatment of Religion in Times of Populism Introduction—Religion and Populism Religion in the European Parliament: Methodology Results Discussion: Different Impacts, Nuanced Debates References The European Commission and Reactions to the ‘Populist Turn’ in Anti-discrimination Policy Introduction The Success of Populist Parties and Euroscepticism Populism and European Institutions Methodology: Text Analysis of Populism and the Commission The European Commission and Its Views on Nationalism and Populism Populism and Political Discourse Analysis The Commission's Civil Service and Populism Conclusions References The Impact of Populism on European Civil Society Facing the Threat of Populism: How the European Commission Can Reconnect with Citizens The Impact of Populism on the European Rule of Law and Fundamental Values The Roots of European Populism How Does Populism Impact on the European Union? Strengthening the European Public Sphere as a Response to the Populist Challenge Safeguarding the Rule of Law Fostering Political and Democratic Innovation of the Eurosphere Paris Participatory Budgeting Permanent Sortition Assembly in Belgium Crowdsourcing the Constitution of Iceland with Citizens Participatory Democracy Mechanisms at EU Level—The Way Forward Sustaining Public Spaces by Supporting Civic Actors, Civic Education and Encouraging Interactions References Civil Society as Anti-Populism? Countering the Populist Threat and Campaigning for Change in the Discourse of EU-Level CSOs Introduction Populism and Civil Society: Contextual and Analytical Clarifications Data and Methodology Framing the Threat Countering the Populist Threat: CSOs Calling for Action Conclusion Bibliography The Interaction Among Populism, Civil Society Organisations and European Institutions Introduction Elements of the Economic and Societal Context Economic Crisis Cultural and Political Context Demographic and Societal Context Digitalisation Impact of Populism on Civil Society Organisations Impact of Populism Through Public Authorities Regulatory Environment Funds and Finance Participation in the Decision-Making Process Impact of Populism Through Public Discourse Public Discourse and Values Public Discourse: A Direct Impact Safe Space EU Institutions and Organised Civil Society Conclusions References Europeanize to Resist: Civil Society vs. Populism Introduction: Civil Society Under Pressure Discrediting Narratives and the New Vulnerabilities in the Public Sphere Difficulties in the CSOs’ Trickle-Down and Scale up Legal Activism or Transnational Constitutionalism Ideological Divides Europeanize to Resist References Conclusions: Bursting the Brussels Bubble—How the Impact of Populism Can Be Exploited to Make the European Union Better References Index