Of 12 European countries ranked in a chart created for The Independent by Statista, five saw more than half of respondents identify with what has been classified as authoritarian populist views, YouGov said.
The figure stood at 48 per cent in the UK, where the movement is judged to be best represented by the Conservatives and Ukip.
Voters supporting authoritarian populism were broadly older and with less access to higher education, while opponents on the liberal left and centre-right were more likely to be younger and have attended university.
YouGov found 82 per cent of voters held the views in Romania, while the figure stood at zero in Lithuania and under a fifth in Germany, as divides shift from traditional left vs right to those for and against the perceived “establishment”.
Brexit racism and the fightbackShow all 91/9Brexit racism and the fightbackBrexit racism and the fightback
Demonstrators protest against an increase in post-ref racism at London’s March for Europe in July 2016
PA
Brexit racism and the fightback
These cards were found near a school in Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire, the day after the EU referendum
Twitter/@howgilb
Brexit racism and the fightback
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Brexit racism and the fightback
Romford, Essex, June 25
@diamondgeezer
Brexit racism and the fightback
A worker at this Romanian food shop was asleep upstairs at the time of this arson attack in Norwich on July 8, but escaped unharmed. Hundreds later participated in a ‘love bombing’ rally outside the shop to express their opposition to racism and their support of the shop owners.
JustGiving/Helen Linehan
Brexit racism and the fightback
This neo-Nazi sticker was spotted in Glasgow on June 26
Courtesy of Eoin Palmer
Brexit racism and the fightback
But after news emerged of neo-Nazi stickers appearing in Glasgow, some in the city struck back with slogans of their own.
Courtesy of Eoin Palmer
Brexit racism and the fightback
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Brexit racism and the fightback
More signs began to appear in some parts of the UK, created by people who wanted to show their opposition to post-referendum racism
Courtesy of Bernadette Russell
Researchers said the implications for elections across Europe could be “huge” as Marine Le Pen continues her contention for the French presidency and the AfD gains support ahead of Germany’s Bundestag elections next year.
“Whilst in each of the twelve countries some variation of the ‘liberal left’ currently constitutes the largest single political bloc, in seven countries the combined AP voter groups represent a greater potential electoral force,” YouGov said.
“Should a politician or party be able to find a way to unite significant numbers of AP voters under their banner, they will be able to issue a serious challenge to the established political order.
“Ultimately, there is a very real chance that the rise of authoritarian populism could be the defining political phenomenon of the next decade, and not just in Europe, but across developed democracies.”
The term “authoritarian populism” was first used in the 1980s by academics analysing the politics of Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher, finding they shared a core set of attitudes including cynicism over human rights, anti-immigration and a strong emphasis on defence.
Source link : https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/donald-trump-nigel-farage-europe-politics-le-pen-ukip-afd-authoritarian-populism-yougov-defining-political-phenomenon-a7430341.html
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Publish date : 2016-11-21 08:00:00
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