Populism in Western Europe

This chapter examines the cases of Italy, where a left-wing populist party entered a coalition government; and Austria, where a right-wing party did so. In neither case were the governments themselves anti-constitutional, nor were the constitutional reforms pursued by the parties. Populist parties can act just as “normal” political parties do, at least when they are constrained by the need to maintain a coalition. The chapter concludes with a detailed examination of the Brexit referendum in the United Kingdom and its constitutional aftermath, the prorogation of Parliament, held unlawful by the Supreme Court. The referendum was badly designed, the prorogation at the limits of domestic constitutionalism, though whether it was so arbitrary as to be inconsistent with the rule of law is open to doubt.