Introduction

Populism’s compatibility with completely different ideological orientations is due to its intrinsic ambivalence. From an ideational perspective, populism may intersect with ideological components of regionalism, majority nationalism, and Euroscepticism. Nationalism is widely considered a thin ideology that prioritizes national divisions over other political issues and promotes one’s own nation over other nations. Apart from national narratives and unresolved ethnic questions, the political systems of Central and Eastern Europe have patterns of party competition that are distinct to those in Western Europe. These are largely the result of the transition legacy, delayed European integration, and the volatility and fragmentation of party systems across the region. Pursuing national or sub-national narratives is clearly one such way of improving a party’s competitive position vis-a-vis the targeted electorate. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.