ThinkTankWeekly

Insecurity Politics: How Unstable Lives Lead to Populist Support

Foreign Affairs | 2026-04-21 | europe

Topics: Europe

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English Summary

The analysis argues that rising workplace and financial insecurity, driven by globalization, technological change, and austerity, is the primary factor fueling the rise of populist parties across Europe. Using new data, the research confirms that the erosion of socioeconomic stability directly undermines social well-being and boosts support for both far-left and far-right populist movements. While the findings suggest that addressing economic precarity is crucial for mitigating polarization, the paper notes that the specific drivers pushing voters toward the far-right remain unexplained. Policymakers must therefore prioritize strategies that restore socioeconomic stability to counter the appeal of populist rhetoric.

中文摘要

該分析指出,全球化、技術變革和緊縮財政所導致的職場和財務不安全感日益增加,是推動歐洲各國民粹主義政黨興起的首要因素。研究利用新數據證實,社會經濟穩定性的侵蝕直接損害了社會福祉,並提升了民眾對極左和極右民粹主義運動的支持度。儘管研究結果顯示,解決經濟脆弱性對於緩解政治極化至關重要,但該論文指出,推動選民走向極右翼的具體驅動因素仍有待解釋。因此,政策制定者必須優先實施恢復社會經濟穩定性的策略,以抵制民粹主義言論的吸引力。

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