Populism and Federalism – Friends or Foes?

Prof. Dr. Gabriele Abels

doi:10.5771/9783748969914

Summary

Across the globe, populist forces are on the rise or have already assumed positions of responsibility in government; a trend often accompanied by polarised politics and the erosion of the rule of law. Yet although this development has long been a subject of concern in politics and academia alike, little attention has so far been paid to the interplay between populism and federalism. This volume therefore explores the question of whether federalism constitutes an effective bulwark against populist forces. At the same time, it examines how populist forces operate within federal systems and how they can take advantage of multi-level dynamics. Numerous contributions provide research perspectives and insights from various countries.
With contributions by Gabriele Abels | Fernando Luiz Abrucio | Philipp Adorf | Sandrina Antunes | Peter Bursens | Oriana Cherini | Cláudio Gonçalves Couto | Giovanni de Ghantuz Cubbe | Franz Fallend | Eduardo Grin | Martin Große Hüttmann | Florian Grotz | Anna-Sophie Heinze | Shahal Khoso | Thomas Klotz | Mario Kölling | Sabine Kropp | Luís Martins | Petra Meier | José Javier Olivas Osuna | Gisela Pereyra Doval | Sandra Katharina Rubner | Justus Schönlau

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Bibliographic data

Edition: 1/2026
Copyright Year: 2026
ISBN-Print: 978-3-7560-4065-0
ISBN-Online: 978-3-7489-6991-4
Publisher: Nomos, Baden-Baden
Series: Schriftenreihe des Europäischen Zentrums für Föderalismus-Forschung Tübingen (EZFF)
Volume: 57
Language: English
Pages: 287
Product Type: Edited Book

Preface No access Pages 1 - 6
1. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. A ‘regionalist’/‘localist’ turn in studies on populism No access
  3. 3. Studying populism with a federal lens No access
  4. 4. The need for a broad concept of federalism No access
  5. 5. Structure of the book No access
  6. 6. Outlook No access
  7. 7. References No access
1. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. The limits of institutional safeguards No access
  3. 1. 3.1 The Bundesrat No access
    2. 3.2 Intergovernmental decision-making No access
    3. 3.3 Implementation of federal and EU legislation No access
  4. 4. Reform options No access
  5. 5. Conclusion No access
  6. 6. References No access
2. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 1. 2.1 Entry through the European electoral arena No access
    2. 2.2 Expansion into the Länder: organisational and territorial differentiation No access
    3. 2.3 Entry into federal politics and consolidation as a far-right challenger No access
    4. 2.4 Linking electoral success to identity constructions No access
  3. 1. 3.1 Federalism in AfD manifestos No access
    2. 3.2 Fiscal federalism and local finances No access
    3. 3.3 Länder constitutions No access
  4. 4. Conclusion No access
  5. 5. References No access
  6. 6. Primary Sources No access
3. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. Right-wing populism and government formation at the national level No access
  3. 1. 3.1 Proportional governments: institutional characteristics and historical development No access
    2. 3.2 Growing dysfunctionality of proportional governments as a result of the rise of right-wing populism No access
    3. 3.3 Reactions of traditional governing parties to the rise of right-wing populism in the states with proportional governments No access
    4. 3.4 The gradual abolition of proportional governments No access
    5. 3.5 Coalition formation following the abolition of proportional governments No access
  4. 4. Repercussions of state coalition formations at the national level No access
  5. 5. Conclusions No access
  6. 6. References No access
4. Authors:
  1. 1. Direct-democratic participation – from the center to the fringes? No access
  2. 2. Developments and trends No access
  3. 3. Research questions: which democracy at which level? No access
  4. 1. 4.1 The state level No access
    2. 4.2 The federal level No access
    3. 4.3 The European level No access
  5. 1. 5.1 The state level No access
    2. 5.2 The federal level No access
    3. 5.3 The European level No access
  6. 1. 6.1 Distinguishing features between the AfD and the FPÖ No access
    2. 6.2 Differences between the AfD/FPÖ and other parties No access
  7. 7. Conclusion: a heterogeneous picture, especially in the case of the FPÖ No access
  8. 8. References No access
5. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. Key features of the Belgian federal system No access
  3. 3. How prone is the Belgian federal system to populism? No access
  4. 4. Conclusions No access
  5. 5. References No access
6. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. Lega’s southern expansion and the alliance among the “Regional Peoples” No access
  3. 3. Intra-party power shifts No access
  4. 4. Conclusions No access
  5. 5. References No access
7. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. Characteristics of populism in the territorial dimension No access
  3. 1. 3.1 Podemos No access
    2. 3.2 Vox No access
    3. 3.3 Secessionist parties No access
  4. 4. The autonomous state as an opportunity structure for populism No access
  5. 5. Conclusion No access
  6. 6. References No access
8. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. Europe as a political opportunitystructure for PRRPs: the case of CHEGA in the 2024 European elections No access
  3. 3. From national outsider to European contender: who is CHEGA? No access
  4. 1. 4.1 PRRP core ideological tenets: nativism, authoritarianism, and populism No access
    2. 4.2 From domestic arena to European stage: key themes in brief No access
  5. 5. Method, data, and research technique No access
  6. 6. Findings No access
  7. 7. Discussion and concluding remarks No access
  8. 8. References No access
  9. 9. Appendix No access
9. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. What is ‘populist’ in an EU local and regional context? No access
  3. 3. The European Committee of the Regions and populism No access
  4. 4. Conclusion No access
  5. 5. References No access
1. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. Trump’s populism as the foundation of his attitude towards the federal order No access
  3. 3. Federalism as a barrier to populist centralization? No access
  4. 4. California as a resistance state No access
  5. 5. State-level legislation and policy as a countermodel to White House populism No access
  6. 6. The intensification of the fight against blue states – Trump’s course in his second term No access
  7. 7. Conclusion: federalism as a firewall of U.S. democracy? No access
  8. 8. References No access
2. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. The populist conception of democracy No access
  3. 3. The new Brazilian federalism: a democratic and cooperative model No access
  4. 1. 4.1 Centralism and federal isolationism No access
    2. 4.2 The uncoordinated dualist model against cooperative federalism No access
    3. 4.3 The permanent confrontation with federative actors to reduce democratic checks and balances No access
  5. 1. 5.1 The first case of accountability for anti-democratic conduct No access
    2. 5.2 Institutional strength vs. polarization No access
    3. 5.3 Symbolic and practical implications for democratic norms No access
    4. 5.4 Broader context of democratic defense No access
  6. 6. Conclusions No access
  7. 7. References No access
3. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction: the triple frontier of Milei’s populism No access
  2. 2. Populism, federalism, and the management of territorial heterogeneity No access
  3. 1. 3.1 First frontier: the productive people vs. the provincial caste No access
    2. 3.2 Second frontier: legislative negotiations and instrumental federalism No access
    3. 3.3 Third frontier: geopolitics, paradiplomacy, and the externalization of contradictions No access
  4. 4. Federalism as constraint and resource: the dual function of territorial pluralism No access
  5. 5. Final reflections No access
  6. 6. References No access
4. Authors:
  1. 1. Introduction No access
  2. 2. The rise and fall of Imran Khan No access
  3. 3. The political economy of Punjab No access
  4. 4. The water war and populism in Sindh No access
  5. 5. The rise of terrorism in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KPK) No access
  6. 6. The separatism in Balochistan No access
  7. 7. Nationalism trumps populism in Pakistan: the Indo-Pak war No access
  8. 8. Conclusion No access
  9. 9. References No access
Authors No access Pages 283 - 286