Security for “The People”: Populism’s Potential Impact on The EU’s Security Agenda
Security for “The People”: Populism’s Potential Impact on The EU’s Security Agenda

Summary/Abstract: Populism is establishing itself as one of the ideas with the most potential of influencing modern-day international relations and defense initiatives, both inside conference rooms and outside of them. Positioned firmly within the realm of liberal democracy, its general image is that of a discourse that is not only critical of society’s elites and demands that power be given back to the people, but also as a volatile and “thin-centered” ideology. Considering the EU’s new Strategic Compass and aims to become a reliable security provider, this paper looks to prove the negative impact that populism can have on the Union’s security and defense initiatives, and on international military cooperation as a whole. With approximately 40% of current European populist parties being against increased defence cooperation within the EU’s framework, this is a risk that must be carefully managed. This paper doesn’t solely take into account the discourse of populist political parties, but also the general feeling of the population in regard to these issues. As a result, any defence initiatives that rely on consensus and public acceptance are at risk. Using data gathered from academic sources and documents regarding the political use of social media, I will use the EU’s Strategic Compass as a case study, postulating potential scenarios. The aim is to emphasize how both populist actors and tendencies can constrain European defence cooperation. They can use it as an issue through which to mobilize the electorate and win votes, particularly since both left-wing and right-wing populist parties emphasize ideas that can challenge European cooperation in this field.

• Details
• Contents