ABSTRACT
The wave of populism in Western Europe is generating a lot of confusion because short-term economic and political factors often fail to explain the social acceptability of populist discourses across countries. Losing sight of the historical dimension of populism and – in particular – of its resonance with the authoritarian turn that Europe experienced in the 1920s and 1930s, one would fail to explain why populism is socially acceptable in certain countries while it is highly stigmatized in others. Naturally, long-term legacies that determine the Salonfahigkeit of populism always interact with short-term socio-economic and political-institutional factors. It is impossible to ignore that, in Western Europe, populist movements, parties, and leaders often settle the political debate and obtain remarkable electoral results. The chapter also presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in this book.
