PERILS OF LIBERAL DEMOCRACIES AND PROMISES OF POPULISM: AN ECONOMIC PERSPECTIVE

Concerns of economic nature are perceived as the main trigger in defining political choices, and a plethora of studies have demonstrated how economic circumstances may influence voting conduct. In the meantime, populism is rising in every corner of the European Union (EU). Considering such instances, this dissertation intents to analyse if and how economic factors contribute to the galloping surge of populism in 28 EU countries from 1990 to 2016, particularly, during periods of austerity. In doing so, a new framework was created by comparing the economic performance of the results obtained right before an election with the overall cumulative results obtained during the political cycle. Evidence suggests that the rise in populism is mostly explained by the perception voters have over the economic performance in the year immediately prior to an election, particularly during austerity periods, which raises issues in launching meaningful and structural legislation.