Moral Integrity and the Reputation of Politicians as Perceived by Supporters of ‘Populist’ Parties: A Comparison of Switzerland and Italy

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to highlight the public's appraisal of politicians' behaviour. We know from previous studies that citizens' judgements of politicians are related to social and political characteristics. Nevertheless, the impact of partisan ties, especially in European countries, has rarely been investigated. Using data drawn from surveys carried out in two neighbouring regions, in Switzerland and Italy, we focus on the supporters of two right-wing populist parties, the Lega Nord and the Lega dei ticinesi. Empirical evidence shows that, in contrast with the anti-establishment and anti-corruption discourse of these parties, their supporters are more indulgent vis-à-vis politicians' transgressions than the supporters of more moderate and left-wing parties. In order to interpret these findings, we consider the position of these populist parties in their respective party systems (both were involved in government coalitions at the time the survey was carried out), the behaviour and character of their leaders and their supporters' attitudes regarding public and private conduct.