Thread by @jschultecloos

Why are the European Parliament elections "winning elections" for the radical right & what are the implications for national success? #EP2019

1) Their programmatic demands are salient

2) EU technocracy fits anti-elitist discourse

3) EP elections are "second-order"

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1) EP elections help the radical right to advance their core programmatic demands.

Why?
The issue of European integration is particularly salient in the campaign.
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It is debated in close connection to issues pertaining to cultural or identitarian politics, notably immigration, the 'twin issue' of European integration. Conflicts over these issues form an increasingly relevant dimension of party competition across Europe.
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The issue of European integration pertains to this dimension and aligns with other culturally conservative proposals. The radical right benefits from the increased salience of their core programmatic demands during EP campaigns.
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2) The complex multi-level governance in the EU and the technocratic decision-making fits the anti-elitist discourse of the radical right.

Why?
Decision-making in Brussels carries still an abstract, remote and elitist character, agreement is often procedural.
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At the same time, the implications of EU decision-making for the everyday reality of citizens have substantially increased over the past decades, even more so during the recent crises.
This is still coupled, however, with the complex character of technocratic EU governance.
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The populist radical right presents itself as a tangible alternative to this "elitist" decision-making in Brussels, close to the citizens, demanding to take back control.

EP elections offer a chance to advance this anti-elitist discourse.
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3) EP elections are "second-order" elections and benefit the populist right "mechanically".

Why?
The elections are not about government formation and the electoral formula is permissive for smaller & challenger parties.
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Those citizens who participate "vote with their heart", they do not strategically need to consider which party could make it into the government. Others also use the elections as a chance to send a signal of protest to their current national government.
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Additionally, the electoral formula is permissive. All member states have to use PR in the EP elections. In national elections, many member states include majoritarian elements in the electoral system.
Voters anticipate these "mechanical" advantages for the radical right.
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👉The salience of the programmatic demands of the radical right + the opportunities for anti-elitist discourse + the second-order nature of the EP is the reason why the EP elections are "winning elections" for the radical right.
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This is my argument in slightly more detail at the @LSEEuroppblog:

blogs.lse.ac.uk/europpblog/201…

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... and finally, this article is about the consequences that the European "winning elections" generate for the subsequent national success of the populist radical right:

journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.117…

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