MKI Perspective – Written by Csaba Stefán and Szabolcs Helmeci
The political elite in power has failed to provide adequate and effective responses to the European crises of the last decades. Their failure to manage these crises has led to the rise of a number of political parties across Europe that are seen as radical by the elite, promising voters responses that differ from those of the mainstream parties. The distinctions between the different traditional parties have become increasingly blurred, with these parties increasingly articulating the same messages with only nuanced differences. See, for example, the alliance between the Social Democrat Party (PSD) and the National Liberal Party (PNL) in Romania, or the grand coalition between the Austrian People’s Party (ÖVP) and the Social Democratic Party of Austria (SPÖ). Meanwhile, the parties labelled as radical propose solutions that go beyond the messages formulated by the elite, which have proved ineffective, develop innovative approaches to the problems they face and take a critical stance towards certain turns in European integration or towards EU institutions. This positioning reinforces the perception that the elite serves the interests of those who stand to gain most from the status quo. And it appeals to a growing number of voters across Europe.
Cover source: Thomas Peter / Reuters