Rising populism will hinder EU governance

Subject Populism across Europe. Significance The March 4 Italian elections delivered large gains in support for the anti-establishment Five Star Movement (M5S) and the far-right League. These two parties are now trying to reorient politics as a competition between different forms of ‘populism’. Impacts Increasing political fragmentation will make it harder for national governments to undertake sustained reform efforts. Established parties may be tempted to adopt populist rhetoric, shifting the terms of debates on issues such as immigration. Populist movements tend to embrace Eurosceptical positions even when they do not engage in identity politics.