Populists and Referendums in Europe: Dispelling the Myth
Year: 2020
Type: article
Abstract: Many researchers, journalists and politicians are inclined to connect populism and referendums. While in theory the two rest on similar principles, in practice this is not the case. This article shows that populist political elites make limited use of referendums compared both to their rhetoric and to non‐populists. Our findings indicate that the use of referendums is not a reflection of populist politics. They also illustrate how populists may initiate referendums strategically, and they win them quite often. The analysis draws on all sixty‐four national level referendums in Europe initiated by political elites between 2000 and 2019.
Source: The Political Quarterly
Authors: Sergiu Gherghina, Nanuli Silagadze
Institutions: University of Glasgow, Åbo Akademi University
Language: English
Field: Social Sciences
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: green
OpenAlex ID: W3095501072