This conceptual intervention examines critically the theorizing of the ideological project centred on radical-right populist parties in the contemporary context of growing illiberalism across the world. This is undertaken in several steps. It begins by identifying the people as a common tenet in the ideational approaches of both populism and illiberalism. Subsequently, the so-called canonical (mainly) political science scholarship on radical-right populism is critically revisited, by way of interventions from both political science and adjacent social sciences that emphasize the key role played by gender in understanding its conceptual underpinnings and its connection to illiberalism. A superordinate intersectional lens is then suggested to address the conceptual paradox arising in this context: (elite white mainly men) providential politicians proclaiming themselves to express the sovereign will of the people, which are largely depicted as culturally and economically vulnerable, and politically ignored (white men and women). This enables the critical scrutiny of interactions between several axes of difference and power: masculinities (for gendered hierarchies), heterosexuality (for sexual hierarchies), elites (for class systems), and whitenesses (for racialized and ethnic structuring). The article concludes that such a perspective enriches the ideational approaches to radical-right populism, thereby offering a more nuanced and comprehensive understanding of its conceptual underpinnings and societal implications.

Speaker

Ov Cristian Norocel, Lund University

Chair

Saga Oskarson Kindstrand, Sciences Po, CEE