Persuasion, Talk, and New Ideas

Abstract

Abstract Chapter 6, Persuasion, Talk, and New Ideas examines how initiatives opposing populist parties (IoPPs) may affect populist parties by reducing or increasing their support, diminishing or boosting their resources, inducing moderation or radicalization, and/or curbing their ability to implement illiberal or anti-democratic policies. Political protests, public critique, and denigration may stigmatize or shame populist party leaders and their supporters and ‘reframe’ terms of debate. Demonization of populists as fascists, communists, or racists, may ‘contaminate’ party identities. National and international initiatives monitoring, publicizing, and entering into dialogue with populist parties about inconsistencies in what they say and do may shame them into changing their ways. Nevertheless, talk and new ideas can fall flat, dismissed as ‘fake news’. If it deepens suspicion of fellow citizens or foreign detractors, denigration or critique may simply increase support for populist parties or boost internal solidarity. Examples taken from a wide range of European populist parties illustrate these processes.