Populism

Final negotiations are under way in New York for this month's Summit of the Future, where Heads of State will agree on reforms to the building blocks of global cooperation. The United Nations has convened this unique summit because of a stark fact: Global problems are moving faster than the institutions designed to solve them.

With the government on the defensive and looking for initiatives that will bring drifting voters back, the two biggest opposition parties are distracted by internal turmoil.

The situation appears to be more serious in the main opposition party, SYRIZA, whose central committee meets Saturday.

Will the outcome of the elections in France and the UK trigger a wave of support for progressive forces across Europe as a whole? There are some important differences between the two countries that need to be noted. In the UK, extreme populism and promises of magical solutions were tried and they failed dismally.

Antisystemic forces are sending shockwaves through mature democracies in the Western world. Compared to them, Greece is like an oasis of calm. In order to maintain this status quo, however, the country needs to deal with the social problems and inequalities that act as fuel for populism.

Argentina's parliament handed populist President Javier Milei his first legislative triumph on June 28, approving his economic reform package after months of debate.

Gains by right wing parties in the recent European Parliament elections may stall the development of a slew of renewable energy projects across Europe.

Populist, nationalist and euroskeptic parties are on course to win just under a quarter of seats in the next European Union (EU) assembly, according to the chamber's own projections.

As preparations are underway for the G-7 meeting in the Puglia region, a fight erupted in Rome during a session of the lower house of the Italian Parliament. A member of the opposition's populist "Five Star" movement attempted to hand the Italian flag to the Minister of Regional Affairs, but was attacked by other MPs in the process.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has dismissed concerns of a populist surge after Sunday's European Parliament elections, stating that the political center held firm, creating momentum for change.

Sunday's European Parliament election reflected discontent with the conservative New Democracy government in Greece, but without pointing to an alternative. Citizens - those who voted and those who did not, en masse - expect more. 

In a recent release of the Authoritarian Populism Index 2024, Bulgaria emerges as a focal point for understanding the intricate interplay of political ideologies shaping Europe's landscape. Published by Timbro and EPICENTER, the index, presented in Bulgarian by the Institute for Market Economics, offers a comprehensive analysis spanning decades of electoral dynamics.