The Rise of Populism and Implications on European Integration

Abstract

Since 1990, populism has become increasingly important in European politics. It is often associated with Euroscepticism and exclusionism. The topic of this paper is the negative relationship between populism and European integration in Europe in recent years. This paper aims to explore what obstacles populism has caused to the process of European integration by observing the ideas and policies of populist politicians and political parties, combined with the past research of many scholars. After describing three aspects, this paper concludes that populism is hindering the progress of European integration by increasing public suspicion of regional cooperation organizations, encouraging exclusive socio-economic policies, and emphasizing national identity rather than European identity. This trend may also continue in the foreseeable future, giving consideration to the current European political and economic situation.