Mapping Initiatives Opposing Populist Parties in Europe

Abstract

Abstract Chapter 2, Mapping Initiatives Opposing Populist Parties in Europe presents a typology for classifying responses to populist parties, or initiatives opposing populist parties (IoPPs). Drawing on but extending existing classificatory frameworks drawn from the literature on militant democracy and democratic defence, it classifies IoPPs along two dimensions. First, it classifies IoPPs according to the type of political actor that initiates a response against populist parties (public authorities, political parties, and civil society actors). The second classificatory criterion is whether the modes of engagement employed by these different types of actor are ‘tolerant’ or ‘intolerant’. Intolerant IoPPs are ‘rights restrictions’ by public authorities, ‘ostracism’ by political parties, and ‘coercive confrontation’ by civil society actors. Tolerant IoPPs are ‘ordinary legal controls and pedagogy’ by public authorities, ‘forbearance’ by political parties, and ‘adversarialism’ by civil society actors.