The ‘Brussels bubble’ : populism in Slovenia in the EU crises context

Lovec, Marko (author), Kočan, Faris (author), Mahmutović, Melika (author)

The focus of this article is on the rise of populism and Euroscepticism in the context of the crisis of liberal internationalism and of the EU in particular. The article considers the view that the weak integration of Slovenian–EU politics makes the country vulnerable to this trend. Modern-nationalist, postmodern-cosmopolitan and faux-modern-partially modernised variations of populism are explored. The research draws on public opinion surveys, party manifestos, focus groups with party supporters, and interviews with mediators in elite and popular debates. The dominant modern economist/functionalist view of the EU is shown to have fed into different framings in line with the underlying thick ideologies. On the right, this has been a retro-modern nationalist reaction to the EU’s overly progressive policy and polity, with certain illiberal faux-modern elements like authoritarianism and ethno cultural exclusivism. On the left, it has reinforced the already existing contradictions with (neo)liberalism on the level of politics, leaving the post-modern post-nationalist framing detached from the EU’s polity and policy. The article offers some proposals for better integrating the EU politics in Slovenia

• Language: English
• Keywords: EU, skepticism, populism, liberalism, public opinion, political parties, skepticism, populism, liberalism, public opinion, political parties
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 30.06.2022
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: Str. 509–528, 595
• Numbering: Letn. 59, št. 2
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-138821
• UDC: [316.334.3:329]:061.1EU-044.372(497.4)
• ISSN on article: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 118526723
• Publication date in RUL: 19.08.2022

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Teorija in praksa : revija za družbena vprašanja
• Shortened title: Teor. praksa
• Publisher: Fakulteta za družbene vede
• ISSN: 0040-3598
• COBISS.SI-ID: 763652

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: »Bruseljski mehurček«: populizem v Sloveniji v kontekstu kriz EU

Abstract

Članek se osredini na vzpon populizma in evroskepticizma v kontekstu kriz liberalnega internacionalizma in še posebej EU. Sledi pogledu, da je bila zaradi šibke integracije slovenske in evropske politike država dovzetna za trend. Opazuje moderno nacionalistično, postmoderno kozmopolitsko in obmoderno delno modernizirano variacijo populizma. Vključuje podatke iz javnomnenjskih raziskav, političnih programov, fokusnih skupin s podporniki strank in intervjujev z mediatorji med elitnimi in državljanskimi razpravami. Ugotavlja, da je prevladujoč modern ekonomistični-funkcionalistični pogled na EU vplival na različno uokvirjanje razprav, skladno s širšimi političnimi ideologijami. Na desni je bila to retromoderna nacionalistična reakcija na pretirano progresivne politike in institucionalno zasnovo EU, z nekaterimi iliberalnimi obmodernimi elementi, kot sta avtoritarizem in etnokulturno izključevanje. Na levi pa je okrepil obstoječa protislovja z (neo)liberalizmom na ravni politike ter pustil postmoderni postnacionalistični okvir nepovezan z institucionalno strukturo in politikami EU. Članek ponuja nekaj predlogov, kako bolje integrirati politizacijo EU v Sloveniji

• Keywords: EU, skepticizem, populizem, liberalizem, javno mnenje, politične stranke, skepticizem, populizem, liberalizem, javno mnenje, politične stranke