The Rise of Populism in Europe and its Impact on European and National Institutions

The paper investigates the relentless rise of the populist political and cultural phenomenon in a global perspective and, mainly, in the political context of European Union Member States. Populism, in the 21st century, represents a critical challenge for national and EU Institutions and, in a broader perspective, for the representative democracy itself. In any case, what is populism? Looked at closely, populism is not a monolithic phenomenon, but it is a composite framework, where the classic political categories appear indefinite, often mixed and reconstructed. The paper aims to study, with a comparative and multidisciplinary approach, the populist phenomenon (the populist movements and parties in the EU space, their communicative and political strategy, the features of their leadership) to better understand its origins, policy contents, future political and social perspectives and the impact on the European constitutional democracy’s principles.