Strange bedfellows? Exploring the left-authoritarian attraction to the populist radical right in Poland

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ABSTRACT In Western Europe (WE), voters with left-authoritarian attitudes – those combining left-wing economic preferences with traditional or authoritarian socio-cultural views – face limited political representation. In contrast, in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE), populist radical right parties (PRRPs) have emerged as the primary vehicles for left-authoritarian appeals. This article employs a longitudinal approach, drawing on data from the Polish National Election Study and the Chapel Hill Expert Survey, to examine how positions on redistribution, attitudes toward migrants, and party-voter congruence have shaped support for Poland’s Law and Justice (PiS) party. The findings demonstrate that PiS capitalised on a representational gap left by the traditional left’s shift toward market-oriented economic policies, combining left-wing economic positions with strong anti-immigration stances – particularly following the 2015 refugee crisis. These results shed light on previously underexplored aspects of PiS’s success and contribute to a broader understanding of party-voter congruence and support for PRRPs across Europe.