Right-wing Populism and the European Union

Year 2010, Volume: 9 Issue: 2, 56 - 71, 16.06.2010

Somdeep Sen

Abstract

Since its inception the European Union has transformed itself from a mere economic partnership
to a regional cooperation, supposedly, embodying laws and values ‘universally’ accepted as
‘good’. This very character has encouraged the EU to pursue the role of a global actor that not
only personifies this ‘value-system’ but also strives at disseminating them into the rest of the
world. But, over the years the rise of right-wing populism throughout Europe has threatened to
challenge some of the core orientating aspects of this ‘value-system’. While electoral victories
have demonstrated their ability to impact the character of the EU within its boundaries, this study
wonders what impact the rise of the right-wing populism could have on the European Union as a
global actor.

Key words: Far-right, Right wing populism, European Union, Global Actor, Foreign Policy

Keywords

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