The Way the Media Discusses Politics Has Increased the Support of European Populist Parties

​The Centre for Parliamentary Studies of the University of Turku, Erasmus university of Rotterdam and Laboratoire communication et politique, and London-based international think-tank and advisory group Countertpoint have cooperated in a multinational research project that examined the relationship between the media and the support of the populist parties in France, Netherlands and Finland.

– We chose these countries as our focus of research since all of them have strong populist parties: the Front National in France, Partij voor de Vrijheid in Netherlands and the Finns Party in Finland, says Counterpoint’s Research Coordinator PhD. Lila Caballero.

– We wanted to understand whether and how media have played a role in the increase of the support of these parties.

The results of the project indicate that the media agenda may play a relatively important role in the rise of the populist parties, as these parties often rely on mobile voters whose interest in politics fluctuates with topical issues. The project identified three factors that have played into the hands of the populist parties and broader populist sentiments in the Netherlands, France and Finland.

Media’s Criticism on EU Has Boosted the Populist Parties

– The European financial crisis and the way European Union has tried to manage it has caused a wave of criticism towards the European Union in the European media which has enhanced the credibility of the eurosceptical parties in many European countries, says PhD. Erkka Railo, the Interim Head of the Centre for Parliamentary Studies.

Especially the so-called relief packages granted to Greece, Portugal and Spain seemed to stir criticism in the journalists.

Emphasis on the Juxtaposition of People and Politicians

The second reason is journalistic scepticism towards political institutions’ actors and practices. This journalistic perspective can be explaining through an underlying commercial media logic that induces the media to take the position of “the people” against “the politicians”, who are often portrayed as lacking altruism and the skills and competence to successfully anticipate and respond to political and economic crisis.

– Especially in the Netherlands, the media have cultivated this populist resentment, which has resulted in widespread cynicism towards democratic institutions, summarises PhD. Jiska Engelbert, the researcher responsible for the Dutch aspect of the project.

Immigration Presented as a Problem

The third common denominator is the fact that some politicians seemed to adopt a part of the populist message, in particular with reference to immigration.

In countries where the media is relatively closely intertwined with the political establishment, such as Finland or France, the media then relays the message to the people thus inadvertently giving credibility to the populist agenda and creating a new ideological division between the populist parties and the other parties. The established politicians do not benefit from this, however.

– The attempt of Nicolas Sarkozy to adopt tougher line on immigration akin to the Front National, merely discredited him and underscored the idea that immigration is a problem, says PhD. Gael Villeneuve, the French researcher of the project.

New Divisions Pose Challenges to Both the Politicians and the Media

– The journalists should be aware of the fact that their actions may inadvertently support the populist parties, remind the researchers.

Globalisation has created a new division in politics between those who support international economic integration and multiculturalism and those who do not. This poses challenges both for the established parties as well as journalists.

– The media and politicians must find a constructive way to deal with the challenges, which does not reduce the citizens’ trust and answers their anxieties. We should create new ways to involve the people in sociological discussion that concerns social matters related to them, concludes Caballero.

MR
Photo: Rock Cohen