(Global Campus of Human Rights, 2020)
Balnaves, Hugo; Burkle, Eduardo : Monteiro; Erkan, Jasmine; Fischer, David
Populism is a problem neither unique nor new to Europe. However,
a number of crises within the European Union, such as the ongoing Brexit crisis,
the migration crisis, the climate crisis and the rise of illiberal regimes in Eastern
Europe, all are adding pressure on EU institutions. The European parliamentary
elections of 2019 saw a significant shift in campaigning, results and policy
outcomes that were all affected by, inter alia, the aforementioned crises. This
article examines the theoretical framework behind right-wing populism and
its rise in Europe, and the role European populism has subversively played in
the 2019 elections. It examines the outcomes and human rights impacts of the
election analysing the effect of right-wing populists on key EU policy areas such
as migration and climate change.
Key Words: European parliamentary elections; populism; EU institutions;
human rights
