Anti-pop · Anti-populist discourse in European politics and media

Anti-populist discourse in European politics and media

The action ‘Anti-populist discourse in European politics and media’ (Anti-pop) critically examined the uses of ‘populism’ and ‘populist’ and the place they occupy in discussions of contemporary social and political developments in Europe. This research is socially and politically important because ‘populism’ is often blamed for several negative trends today, including polarisation on issues like immigration and economic policy, the erosion of trust in institutions, established political parties and elites, and political instability. At the same time, political discussions have become more aggressive and blunt, affecting not just official politics but the wider public conversation. While there seems to be an implicit consensus that populism represents a threat to the liberal-democratic arrangement of the past several decades, the widening scope of the term’s uses raises questions about what exactly is captured by ‘populism’ and whether its uses are indeed always fruitful for framing problems – or framing developments as problems. It is clear that political debate needs to be less polarizing. However, the way political confrontation is handled often makes things worse, creating a divide between populists and the political mainstream (the liberal center) that also influences public opinion. While the agenda and rhetoric of populist politicians and parties have received extensive scrutiny in media and academic discourse, how traditional liberal centrist political and media forces counter populism—that is, ‘anti-populism’—has not been closely examined. By making 'populism' a central political issue, we may actually be increasing polarization by creating a new divide between populism and anti-populism. The goal of Anti-pop is to shed light on this issue, outline its negative impacts, and use its findings to encourage reflection and revision of this framework in media, political, and institutional discourse. This aims to contribute to a more nuanced public debate. The project had five key objectives. Objective 1 (empirical): Identify discursive patterns in the uses of ‘populism’ in European politics; analyse the rhetorical style and appeal of anti-populism and its place in communicative strategies in current political debates. Objective 2 (methodological): Combine methodologies and concepts from different disciplines in the humanities and social sciences (linguistics, rhetoric, and political theory) and test their synergies for the analysis of political discourse. Objective 3 (conceptual): Develop the concept of anti-populism; flesh out the logics of anti-populist discourse; operationalise and situate it in relation to debates in democratic political theory. Objective 4 (critical): Understand and assess the shifts in rhetorical culture and public debate as shaped by the conflict between populism and anti-populism; understand the ideological transformations liberal centrism is undergoing through anti-populism. Objective 5 (impact & outreach): Communicate the project’s results to non-academic audiences and the broader public; contribute to the activities of key beneficiaries through the results.

Data: CORDIS, © European Union