Right Populism
Right-wing populism frames politics as a struggle between ordinary people and a corrupt elite, and combines this with nationalism, opposition to immigration and suspicion of international institutions. It often relies on a strong leader who claims to speak for the "real" people.
- Politics is a struggle between the people and a self-serving elite.
- National identity and sovereignty must be protected from immigration and globalisation.
- Strong leadership is needed to carry out the people's will against entrenched institutions.
Precursors include France's Poujadists in the 1950s. Since the 1980s parties such as France's National Front (now National Rally) and Austria's FPÖ have grown, and since 2015 the movement has gained ground across Europe, the Americas and elsewhere. Cas Mudde's work defines it as a "thin" ideology attached to nationalism.
Critics argue that it undermines courts, the free press and minority rights, and that it scapegoats immigrants. Economists warn that its protectionism and fiscal promises can harm growth.
No country or historical regime in our data has Right Populism as its closest ideology.
Method: each ideology is placed at a typical position on the 12 axes, scored from 0 to 100 toward the first pole. Ranks compare it with the other 45 ideologies; matches are 100 minus the average distance across all axes. The positions are our own calibration, not taken from any third-party source.