Centrist and radical right populists in Central and Eastern Europe: divergent visions of history and the EU

Petrović, Nikola and Raos, Višeslav and Fila, Filip (2023) Centrist and radical right populists in Central and Eastern Europe: divergent visions of history and the EU. Journal of contemporary European studies, 31 (2). pp. 268-290. ISSN 1478-2804 (Print), 1478-2790 (Online)

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Abstract

IN ENGLISH: This article compares the politics of history and positions on the EU of six ruling populist leaders and their parties (Fidesz, PiS, SDS, GERB, ANO and OĽaNO) from Central and Eastern European (CEE) EU member states. Through the comparison of leaders’ biographies and longitudinal analysis of party electoral manifestos an overlap between two types of CEE populism and two types of mnemonic actors in the region is found. Radical right-wing populist parties (Fidesz, PiS and SDS) are more oriented towards national histories, memory wars against ex-communists and critical events for losing or gaining their national sovereignty (mnemonic warriors). Centrist populist parties (GERB, ANO and OĽaNO) largely ignore that kind of narrative and focus on anti-corruption or promises of managing the state more effectively (mnemonic abnegators). Radical right-wing populist parties are also more likely to challenge the Brussels elites by using examples from their national histories. Emphasis on national traumas, anti- communism and their leaders’ vision of politics labelled here as combat tasks politics seems to be contributing to their Euroscepticism. Combat tasks politics, i.e. seeing politics as a constant battle against political enemies, underpins the Eurosceptic narratives of Kaczyński, Orbán and Janša-former dissidents who were politically socialised while challenging militarised communist regimes. --------------- IN CROATIAN: Članak uspoređuje politike povijesti i stavove o EU šest vladajućih populističkih stranaka iz Srednje i Istočne Europe (Fidesz, PiS, SDS, GERB, ANO i OĽaNO). Usporedbom biografija čelnika i longitudinalnom analizom stranačkih izbornih manifesta otkriva se preklapanje između dva tipa populizma i dva tipa mnemoničkih aktera u regiji. Radikalno desne populističke stranke (Fidesz, PiS i SDS) više su orijentirane na nacionalne povijesti, ratove sjećanja protiv bivših komunista i kritične događaje za gubitak ili stjecanje nacionalnog suvereniteta (mnemonički ratnici). Centrističke populističke stranke (GERB, ANO i OĽaNO) uglavnom zanemaruju takve narative i usredotočuju se na borbu protiv korupcije ili obećanja učinkovitijeg upravljanja državom (odbacitelji sjećanja). Radikalno desne populističke stranke također u većoj mjeri oponiraju briselskim elitama koristeći primjere iz svoje nacionalne povijesti. Čini se da naglasak na nacionalnim traumama, antikomunizam i vizija politike njihovih vođa (ovdje označena kao politika borbenih zadataka) određuje njihov euroskepticizam. Politika borbenih zadataka, tj. gledanje na politiku kao stalnu bitku protiv političkih neprijatelja, određuje euroskeptične narative Kaczyńskog, Orbána i Janše - bivših disidenata koji su prošli političku socijalizaciju dok su se suprotstavljali militariziranim komunističkim režimima.

Item Type:	Article
Additional Information:	Language: English. - Title in Croatian: Centristički i radikalno desni populisti u Srednjoj i Istočnoj Europi: različite vizije povijesti i EU-a.
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Euroscepticism, populism, populist leaders, Central and Eastern Europe, memory wars, combat tasks politics (euroskepticizam, populizam, populističke vođe, Srednja i Istočna Europa, ratovi sjećanja, politika borbenih zadataka)
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > HM Sociology J Political Science > JA Political science (General)
Depositing User:	Karolina
Date Deposited:	17 Mar 2022 06:57
Last Modified:	09 Sep 2024 09:59
URI:	http://idiprints.knjiznica.idi.hr/id/eprint/987

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