PANDEMİ POPÜLİZMİN SONUNU GETİREBİLİR Mİ? Batı Avrupa’daki Popülist Radikal Sağ Partiler Üzerine Bir Değerlendirme

Öz

Popülist radikal sağ partiler günümüzde Batı Avrupa siyasetinin dikkate değer aktörlerinden birine dönüşmüştür. Dışlayıcı kimlik tanımı ve otoriter siyasal yönelimleri nedeniyle demokratik sistemler açısından bir tehdit oluşturan bu partilerin yükselişi talep ve arz temelli etmenlere dayandırılırken, krizlerin bu yükselişe olumlu katkı sağladığına ilişkin yaygın bir kabul vardır. Ancak, ekonomik ve siyasal krizler söz konusu olduğunda bu tezi destekleyecek pek çok örnek olmasına karşın, bir sağlık krizi olarak ortaya çıkan COVID-19 pandemisinin popülist partiler açısından yaygın ve düzenli şekilde aynı olumlu etkiyi yapmadığı görülmektedir. Hatta bu gözlemden yola çıkarak, pandeminin popülizmin sonunu getirmekte olduğuna varan abartılı yorumlar yapılmaktadır. Bu çalışmada, pandeminin yarattığı sağlık krizinin popülist radikal sağ partilerin söylem ve politikaları açısından yol açtığı zorluklar ve söz konusu partilerin krize verdikleri tepkilerin yanı sıra, yeni koşulların bu partilerin siyasi gelecekleri üzerindeki olası etkileri ele alınmaktadır. Bu amaçla, Almanya’dan AfD (Alternative für Deutschland – Almanya için Alternatif), Fransa’dan RN (Rassemblement National – Ulusal Birlik), İtalya’dan Lega (Birlik Partisi), İspanya’dan Vox (Ses Partisi) ve Hollanda’dan PVV (Partij vor Vrijheid – Özgürlük Partisi) incelenmektedir. Bu çalışma göstermektedir ki pandeminin yarattığı sağlık krizi popülist radikal sağ partileri siyaseten zora sokmuş görünse de onları etkisizleştirecek nitelikte değildir. Aksine, mevcut yapısal sorunları derinleştirmesi nedeniyle pandeminin bu partileri orta ve uzun vadede daha da güçlendirmesi beklenebilir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Popülizm
• Batı Avrupa
• Pandemi
• Kriz
• Demokrasi

COULD THE PANDEMIC GIVE AN END TO POPULISM? AN EVALUATION OF POPULIST RADICAL RIGHT PARTIES IN WESTERN EUROPE

Öz

Populist radical right parties have become one of the significant actors of contemporary European politics. These parties are considered to threaten democratic systems due to their exclusionary notion of identity and authoritarian political tendencies. While their rise is explained either through demand- or supply-side factors, there is a widespread consensus that crises positively contribute to these parties. Indeed, there are many examples which support this thesis in the cases of economic and political crises; however, in the case of a health crisis such as the COVID-19 pandemic, it looks as this new kind of crisis has not generated common and constant positive conditions for populist parties to exploit. Some scholars even argue that the pandemic is bringing the end of populism. This study seeks to explore impediments caused by the health crisis to the discourses and policies of populist radical right parties as well as their responses to the crisis and the possible impact of the pandemic on the political prospects of the parties. To analyze these issues, this article examines AfD (Alternative für Deutschland – Germany), RN (Rassemblement National – France), Lega (Italy), Vox (Spain), and PVV (Partij vor Vrijheid – the Netherlands). This research shows that although the COVID-19 crisis has posed some significant challenges to populist radical right parties, it was not able to marginalize them. On the contrary, the pandemic which is deepening existing structural problems is likely to empower these parties in the medium and long term

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Populism
• Western Europe
• Pandemic
• Crisis
• Democracy

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