Interview #67 – Exploring Left-Wing Nationalism

November 18, 2024November 13, 2024Leave a comment

In this thought-provoking interview, Jacopo Custodi challenges conventional ideas about nationalism by shedding light on its role within left-wing ideologies. Often associated with the right, nationalism is far from incompatible with progressive politics. Drawing from his latest book, Custodi discusses how left-wing nationalism manifests in diverse ways across European contexts, specifically in Southern Europe. We discuss the distinctions between left- and right-wing nationalism, the nuanced ways leftist parties engage with national identity, and the interplay between nationalism and populism. Reclaiming a sense of nationhood can serve progressive goals—though it requires careful balancing to avoid the pitfalls of exclusionary nationalism.

Enjoy the read…

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Portuguese Populism – A Special Issue

October 21, 2024October 25, 2024Leave a comment

Populism in Portugal: the End of Exceptionalism?

This is the title of the special issue I have been working on as a guest editor since 2022. I am glad to announce that it is finally out for Análise Social, the oldest Portuguese journal in social sciences, and house journal of the Institute of Social Sciences of the University of Lisbon. Half a century after the Carnation Revolution, this is an excellent moment to investigate the presence of populism in a country often considered immune.

The special issue is composed of an introduction and eight research articles: it can be found here in open access, both in Portuguese and English. I hope it will fill some of the gaps that have hitherto characterized the study of populism in Portugal and at the same time offer a starting point for anyone interested in working on these issues.

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Interview #41 — Authoritarian Past and the Far right in the Iberian Peninsula

May 6, 2020May 8, 20201 Comment

Spain and Portugal share many things: the same peninsula, long parts of their history, and —until recently— the lack of success of far right parties. This, however, is no longer true. We try to understand the rise of the far right in Spain by asking Mariana Mendes questions about Vox and Chega, the memory of Franco and Salazar, opportunity structures and stigma.

Why populist radical right parties were not successful in Spain until very recently, and what has changed in the meantime? Will Portugal follow a similar trajectory or will it remain one of the rare “exceptional countries” in Europe where the far right is not successful?

Enjoy the read.

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Interview #37 – The end of Portuguese exceptionalism?

March 10, 2020March 10, 20201 Comment

Portugal has been a dictatorship for almost half a century, until the Carnation Revolution (1926-1974). In the forty-five following years (1974-2019), Portugal has become an “exception” since it seemed to be immune to far right parties, populism, and all the other phenomena that in the meantime were characterizing the rest of Europe. Last October, however, Portugal went to vote (well, not many people, the turnout was below 50%). Is Portugal still an “exceptional” country? Who are André Ventura and Joacine Katar-Moreira? We asked Alexandre Afonso to answer these and many other questions about the lesser known of Iberian democracies. In the next months, the focus will be often on Portugal and Spain, so stay tuned…

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