The rise of populism in Central and Eastern Europe: analysis of social-economic factors

Abstract

Social-economic factors in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe are the basis for the emergence of populism. It was investigated that in the countries such as Ukraine and Poland, the population, accustomed to state protectionism, are particularly vulnerable to populism. In the case of Poland the reduction of social benefits results in increased populism whereas in Ukraine it works the opposite way – an increase in social services would lead to increased social populism. In Romania, such an impact of social-economic factors decreased as a result of the introduced economic reforms and development of the country’s economy in general. This does not mean that Romania is better economically developed than Poland or Ukraine. The example of Romania only demonstrates that political factors were of the key importance for the rise of populism. Social-economic factors are therefore the basis for the emergence of populism in the countries of Central and Eastern Europe. Moreover, it happens regardless of the economic or political degree of development of the country because people in countries such as Ukraine and Poland are guided by the issue of state protection when it comes to social benefits. For Romania, the impact of social-economic indicators on populism declined after the introduction of economic reforms, which ultimately led to the development of the economy. In fact, various social-economic transformations in all countries will affect the later existence of populist expectations leading to a rise in populism, even if the political factors will be the primary drivers of populism.