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Revealed: Nearly Half The Adults In Britain And Europe Hold

ExtremistViews
Exclusive: A groundbreaking new study of 12 European countries has revealed how far anti-immigrant, nationalist, and authoritarian
attitudes have spread from the political fringes.
posted on Oct. 7, 2016, at 12:36 p.m.

Alberto Nardelli
BuzzFeed Europe Editor

Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed

Almosthalfoftheadultsin12Europeancountriesnowholdantiimmigrant,nationalist
views,accordingtomajornewresearchthatrevealsthespreadoffringepoliticalviews
intothemainstream.
BuzzFeedNewshasbeengivenexclusiveaccesstonewdatafromYouGov,whichpolled
morethan12,000peopleacrossthecontinenttomeasuretheextentofwhatittermed
authoritarianpopulistopinionsacombinationofantiimmigrationsentiments,strong
foreignpolicyviews,andoppositiontohumanrightslaws,EUinstitutions,andEuropean
integrationpolicies.

TheYouGovfindingsarethefirsttocapturethepoliticalattitudesthatarebothfuelling,
andbeingfuelledby,upheavalacrossEuropeandbeyondfromthecontinentsrefugee
crisisandtheBrexitvoteinBritain,totheburkinibaninFrance,totheriseofDonald
TrumpandtheradicalalternativerightintheUS.
InBritain,thepollfoundauthoritarianpopulistattitudesweresharedby48%ofadults,
despitelessthan20%ofthepopulationidentifyingitselfasrightwing.Threemonthson
fromtheEUreferendum,primeministerTheresaMayhasrespondedthisweekby
appealingdirectlytodisaffectedworkingclassvoterswithapromisetocrackdownon
immigrationandreassertBritishsovereignty.
InFrance,aclearmajorityofpeoplesurveyed63%heldauthoritarianpopulistviews,
whileinItalythefigurewas47%.InGermany,itwas18%,whichappearslowby
comparisonbut,giventhecountryshistoryandtheextremenatureofitsfarrightgroups,
isregardedbyanalystsassurprisinglyhigh.
ThehighestlevelsofauthoritarianpopulistviewswererecordedinRomaniaandPoland,
wheretheywereheldby82%and78%ofadultsrespectively.InLithuania,bycontrast,the
polldidnotdidnotdetectanyevidenceoftheauthoritarianpopulistphenomenonatall.

Hover over the map to view the proportion of authoritarian populists in each country.
*In Romania authoritarian populist attitudes were pro-EU unlike in the other countries surveyed. Chris Applegate/BuzzFeed

JoeTwyman,YouGovsheadofpoliticalandsocialresearchforEurope,theMiddleEast,
andAfrica,said:Theseresultsshowthattheolddaysofleftversusrighthavebeen
replacedbyamuchmorecomplicated,nuancedmixofpoliticalgroupings,withprofound
implicationsforpoliticsacrossEurope.Anypoliticalpartyormovementthatcan

successfullyappealtothoseofanauthoritarianpopulistleaningcouldbenefithugelywhen
itcomestoelections.
BothsidesofthisemergingpoliticalbattledescribethechallengeEuropeisfacingasa
clashbetweenvalues.
FormerUKIPleaderNigelFaragetold
BuzzFeedNewsthatdespitehis
scepticismtowardspollsters,thenew
researchsupportswhathasbeen
obvioustoanyonewiththeeyestosee
andtheearstohear.
WhatishappeningacrossEuropeisnot
somesuddenrevelation,Faragesaid,
butaslowbuildupofdisillusion
amongstthepeoplesofEuropeletdown
byanantidemocraticpoliticalclasswho
areattemptingtobuildaUnitedStatesof
Europewithouttheconsentofthe
citizens.

Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed

Thisisnotamatteroftheoldlabelsofleftorright.Inthepastbothleftandrightwere
rootedinplace,butnolonger.Thegoverningpoliticalclassacrossthiscontinentdoesnt
liketheEuropeinwhichitlives,holdsitspeopleincontempt,andwouldprefertositin
executiveloungesthanengagewiththosewhoseworkpaystheirwages.Thatiswhyyou
areseeingincreasingdisillusionwithafailedEUprojectthatisnowdoomed.Brexitwas
justthebeginning.
ButBritishConservativeMPandformerbusinessministerAnnaSoubrydisagreed:
PeopleinBritainandacrossEuropeareturningtheirbacksonopenness.Buttheanswer
isnottopandertoacynicalpopulismthatseekstodividepeople,buttostandupforwhat
webelievein.

Stefan Wermuth / Reuters

Earlierthismonth,followingastringofbadstateelectionresultsforherparty,German
chancellorAngelaMerkelwarned:In1990,whenthewallfell,theColdWarcametoan
endandfreedomblossomedeverywhereitlookedlikewewereonanirreversibleroadto
victory,andthatitwasjustuptotherestoftheworldtojoinourmodel.Freedomhad
won.Itnowturnsoutthingsarentthatsimple.
Theresultsdonotautomaticallymeanthattherewillbeasurgeinsupportforanti
establishment,populistparties.Atgeneralelections,votersmaketheirchoiceformany
differentreasonsconcernsabouttheeconomymay,forexample,trumpworriesabout
multiculturalism.Manyofthemostdisaffecteddonotvoteatall.
However,assupportfortheseviewshasincreased,sohavevotesformoreradicalparties
andcandidates.
InGermany,forexample,theanti
immigrationAlternativeforGermany
(AfD)partynowholdsseatsin10of
Germanys16states.Nationally,witha
generalelectionduenextyear,theparty
ispollingabove15%.Threeyearsago,the
AfDfailedtowinenoughvotestoenter
parliament.
TheYouGovdatashowsthatmostpeople
inthecountryarecentrists,
internationalists,liberalsandproEU.
Authoritarianpopulismisstillrestricted
tomoreextremistpositions.

Butcertainsubjectsthathavebeenoff
limitssincetheendofthesecondworld
warsuchasdebatesaboutGerman
nationalismandidentityandpeoples
ethnicityarenowmakingacomeback.
HansBlomeieroftheKonradAdenauer
FoundationtoldBuzzFeedNewsthat
whatisdangerousisnotalwaysthe
wordsthemselves,buttheirhistoryand
whatisbehindthem.
Anationthatisoutwardlookingis
suddenlyinwardlookingagainandthe
AfDisdrivingthis,hesaid.
LikeGermany,Denmarkhasalsoseena
shiftinthetoneofpoliticaldebates.
AccordingtotheYouGovdata,aquarter
ofDaneswhoidentifythemselvesas
centristsneverthelessholdauthoritarian
Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed

populistbeliefsasimilarproportionto
thoseontherightwingofthecountrys

politicalspectrum.
Thereisamovetowardsmoreauthoritarianism,discriminationbasedonethnicity,said
KarenMelchior,adiplomatandcandidatewiththeliberalRadikaleparty.Itisnotaleft
versusrightissue.ItislikeacoldwarwithcompetingvisionsofEurope.
Inrecentpolicydiscussionsabout
introducingatoughercitizenshiptest
andtheappropriatenessofsegregating
classroomsonthebasisofethnicity,even
partsoftheSocialDemocraticpartyheld
discriminatoryviews,Melchiorclaims.
VotersinFrancewillsoonhavethe
chancetovoteontheideasthatdrive
authoritarianpopulism.Pollssuggest
MarineLePen,leaderoftheanti
immigrantFrontNational,willeasily
makeitthroughtothefinalroundoftwo
candidatesinthecountryspresidential
electionsin2017.
Buttheantiimmigrant,nationalist
rhetorichasnotbeenlimitedtoLePen.
FormerpresidentNicolasSarkozyis
amongtheothercontendersforthe

Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed

presidency,andsome,includingwithin
hisownparty,haveaccusedhimofadoptingtheFrontNationalstoneonimmigration,
Islam,andidentity.

Inrecentweeks,Sarkozyhasdeniedclimatechangeiscausedbyhumans,hassaidhe
woulddropsanctionsagainstRussia,andhasevenquestionedtherighttocitizenshipof
someofthoseborninFrance.Thelatterisaconstitutionalbedrock,andSarkozyhimself
attackedtheFrontNationaladecadeagoforsuggestingtherighttocitizenshipshouldbe
abolished.

Jean-paul Pelissier / Reuters

Theriseofnationalist,antiimmigrantviewshasbeenstrongestincentralEurope,
withPolishadultsscoringthehighestintheYouGovsurvey,takingintoaccountallthe
measurespolled.
InnearbyHungary,theculturalcounterrevolutionthatcentralEuropeanleaders
pledgedinthewakeofBrexitisevenmorestark.
Therefugeecrisisisoneofthemostpowerfuldriversofauthoritarian,antiimmigrant
views.AseniorgovernmentofficialclosetoHungarianprimeministerViktorOrbantold
BuzzFeedNewsitisnotjustaboutthenumbers.Thereisanissuewithprovenance,
cultural,demographicandreligiousissues.SomeMuslimsdonotrespecttheEuropean
wayoflife.
ManyNorthAfricanmigrantshavenot
integrated,theyliveisolatedinpolarised
communities.Therearenowdistrictsin
citiessuchasParisandCopenhagenthat
aredangerous.
Theofficialpredictsthattherewillbe
eventuallybewallsallaroundtheEU.
Countriescoloniseothersbywar,orby

floodingthemwiththeirpeople,they
added.
TotherightoftherulingFideszpartyis
Jobbik.Inthespaceofadecade,the
party,grownoutofarightwingyouth
association,hasgonefrompollingless
than2%to20%.
JobbikMPMartonGyongyosi,whoalso
servesasvicechairmanofthe
parliamentarycommitteeonforeign
affairs,toldBuzzFeedNewsOrbanhad
basicallycopiedJobbiksimmigration
Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed

policies.
ButGyongyosiclaimsthatJobbiks

successisbestexplainedbyitsstanceagainstcorruptelitesanditsoppositionto
neoliberalism.
TheMPsaysthepartyseconomicpolicieshavemoreincommonwiththeGreekfarleft
SyrizaandItalysantiestablishmentFiveStarMovementthanwithotherfarrightparties
inEurope.Immigrationistheonlycommondenominatorbetweenrightwingparties,he
says.

Supporters of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party. Thomas Peter / Reuters

OnetrendthatlinksDonaldTrumpsrunthroughtheRepublicanprimaries,theBrexit
voteintheUKandtheAfDssuccessinrecentGermanstateelectionsisanincreasein
previousnonvoterscastingaballot.

TheYouGovdatashowsthatauthoritarianpopulistgroupstendtobemorelikelytobe
male,older,withfewereducationalqualifications,butthedegreeforwhichthatholds
variesfromgrouptogroupandfromcountrytocountry.Thismakesdefiningand
respondingtothedemographicmixofpopulistpartiesdifficult.

AP total

Overall

Other groups

Age

Gender

Education Level

This shows how the percentage of Authoritarian Populism (AP) supporters in eleven countries, and how those AP supports break down in
terms of age, gender and education level. Click the menu options to view details by demographic.
Note: Lithuania does not appear, as the survey found the country had effectively no supporters of AP. Chris Applegate/BuzzFeed

Inthepast,thesevotersthoughtthatallthepartieswerethesame,nowtheyseetheAfD
andTrumpasdifferentprotestingmakessense,saidHansBlomeier,oftheKonrad
AdenauerFoundation.Theyseethemasawaytogivetheestablishmentaslapintheface.
Theydelivertheirangerinanelection,ithurtseverybody.
Hewarnedthatgovernmentsandpartiesthatrespondtopopulismwithmorepopulism
areplayingwithfire.
But,headded,itisnotenoughtosaythesearejustlunatics.
CommentingonthestudyonhisFacebookpage,theformerBelgianprimeminister,and
theEuropeanParliamentschiefBrexitnegotiator,GuyVerhofstadt,saidtheresults
showedthatpoliticsinEuropearenolongerabattlebetweentheleftandright,but
increasinglybetweenthosewhofightforopensocietiesandclosedsocieties.

Adding,wecanputourheadsinthesandandletEuropeslowlydie,orweusethiscrisis
torenewandreformEurope.

Rebecca Hendin / BuzzFeed

Methodologicalnotes:Tobuilditsresearchmodel,YouGovworkedwithProf.David
Sanders,RegiusprofessorofpoliticalscienceattheUniversityofEssex,toinvestigatethe
currentpoliticallandscapeandtoquantifysupportforauthoritarianpopulism.
Authoritarianpopulists(AP)shareasetofcommonbeliefs,opinions,andattitudesthat
arebroadlycharacterisedbybeing:
1)antiimmigration
2)antihumanrights
3)antiEUinstitutionsandintegrationpolicies
4)strongonforeignpolicyissues
TheAPtotalscoreisbasedonthelargestcombinationoftheAPgroupsallleaningthe
samewayessentiallythelargestpossiblegroupapoliticalparty/movementmighthope
tocapture.OthergroupsmaystillhavesomeAPelements,buttheywillbeonadifferent
wingandsoitisassumedcannotbewonoverinthesameway.
Pollingwascarriedoutonlinebetween31Augustand9September2016.1711individuals
werepolledinGreatBritain.Inallothercountriesatleast1,000weresurveyed.All
sampleswererepresentativeofnationalpopulations.
Alberto Nardelli is Europe editor for BuzzFeed News and is based in London.
Contact Alberto Nardelli at Alberto.Nardelli@buzzfeed.com.

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