WP2a Mainstreaming by the Populist Parties

This work package compares two cases in different political cultures and hypothetically different manifestations of the mainstreaming of populism. In France, the mainstreaming of populism has long been evident in political rhetoric due to the prominent Front National (FN) party. However, the party has played a minor role in the official political and party system. In Finland, the populist Finns Party (FP) is in government. The work package explores how the populist parties’ themes are maintained in parliamentary debates and initiatives and how they enter public discussion. This will be achieved through the rhetorical and conceptual analysis of various policy documents.

Main researcher: Tuula Vaarakallio. Contributions: Niko Hatakka, Urpo Kovala, Emilia Palonen.