The Covid-19 crisis: opportunity or threat for populist radical right parties in Europe?

Abstract

Starting as a public health problem, the Covid-19 pandemic has become a multi-dimensional crisis that involves various policy areas. Crises have the potential to change priorities and trigger various reflexes in any given society, including a realignment on the political spectrum. In Europe, Populist Radical Right Parties (PRRPs) were on the rise due to the previous crises in Europe. In this context, have these parties appealed more or less to voters during the pandemic? This study aims to investigate the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on the discourse and popular support of European PRRPs in its first year. The responses of the PRRPs of Austria, France, Germany and Italy to the pandemic and its governance are explored through leaders’ Twitter posts. Changes in popular support for the political mainstream and the PRRPs are examined through recent opinion polls. The trend of the rise of European PRRPs before the pandemic is revisited and discussed in light of the findings.