Populism within the political landscape : right, left ... and centre

Iglič, Hajdeja (author)

The article examines populism from the perspective of political demand, concentrating on analysis of populist attitudes held by the Slovenian population. The article opens with a conceptual discussion, addressing the debate on whether populist attitudes should be defined and measured across two or three dimensions. The study then investigates how populists position themselves on the political spectrum, seeking to determine whether populist attitudes transcend the traditional left–right political divide. Contrary to the general trend observed across European countries, the findings suggest that in Slovenia populist voters are largely situated at the political centre, with populist attitudes showing notable convergence between the centre and the far-right. The critical line dividing these two groups appears in their views on social inequality. The research was conducted online in early 2023.

• Language: English
• Keywords: populism, populist attitudes, measuring populism, populism in Slovenia
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Geographic coverage: Slovenija
• Organization: FDV - Faculty of Social Sciences
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Publication date: 01.12.2025
• Year: 2025
• Number of pages: Str. 15-42
• Numbering: Letn. 41, št. 108/109
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-177139
• UDC: 329:316.75
• ISSN on article: 0352-3608
• DOI: 10.51936/dr.41.108-109.15-42
• COBISS.SI-ID: 259381763
• Publication date in RUL: 16.12.2025

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Družboslovne razprave
• Shortened title: Družbosl. razpr.
• Publisher: Slovensko sociološko društvo, Fakulteta za družbene vede
• ISSN: 0352-3608
• COBISS.SI-ID: 7530242

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Populizem na političnem zemljevidu

Abstract

Članek obravnava populizem z vidika političnega povpraševanja, pri čemer se osredotoča na analizo populističnih stališč prebivalstva v Sloveniji. Prispevek odpremo s konceptualno razpravo, ki naslavlja vprašanja o tem, kako opredeliti in meriti populistična stališča. V nadaljevanju raziskujemo, kako se populisti umeščajo v slovenski politični prostor in ali presegajo tradicionalno levo-desno politično razlikovanje. Rezultati kažejo, da se bazen populistov v Sloveniji nahaja predvsem v politični sredini, pri čemer prihaja do znatne konvergence stališč med populisti v politični sredini in na skrajni desnici. Ključno ločnico med tema dvema skupinama populistov predstavlja odnos do ekonomskih neenakosti. Raziskava je bila izvedena v začetku leta 2023 preko spleta.

• Keywords: populizem, merjenje populizma, populizem v Sloveniji

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P5-0166
• Name: Upravljanje omrežij javnega in zasebnega sektorja