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Choosing whom to betray: populist right-wing parties, welfare state reforms and the trade-off between office and votes

dc.contributor.authorAfonso, Alexandre
dc.date.accessioned2023-09-29T13:35:39Z
dc.date.available2023-09-29T13:35:39Z
dc.date.issued2015-05
dc.description.abstractThis article analyses the impact of populist right-wing parties (PRWPs) on welfare state reforms in Western Europe in the light of the trade-off that they face between office and votes. On the one hand, PRWPs appeal to traditionally left-leaning blue-collar “insiders” supportive of social insurance schemes. On the other hand, they have only been able to take part in government as junior coalition partners with liberal or conservative parties who are more likely to retrench these very same welfare programs. In this context, the article argues that these parties have to choose between betraying their electorate (and losing votes), and betraying their coalition partners (and losing office). When they choose office, it enables welfare state retrenchment by allowing their coalition partners to curtail left-wing opposition, but entails high electoral costs for PRWPs. When they choose votes, it generates deadlock and potentially jeopardises their participation in government. The paper draws on a comparative analysis of pension reforms during three periods of government participation of PRWPs: the Schüssel I and II cabinets in Austria (2000-2006), the Rutte I cabinet in the Netherlands (2010-2012) and three pension reforms in Switzerland between 1995 and 2010. The analysis draws on original primary material and interviews.pt_PT
dc.description.versioninfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionpt_PT
dc.identifier.citationAfonso, A. (2015). Choosing Whom to Betray: Populist Right-Wing Parties, Welfare State Reforms and the Trade-Off Between Office and Votes. European Political Science Review, 7(2), 271-292. https://doi.org/10.1017/S1755773914000125pt_PT
dc.identifier.doi10.1017/S1755773914000125pt_PT
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10400.5/28719
dc.language.isoengpt_PT
dc.peerreviewedyespt_PT
dc.subjectradical right parties, welfare state reform, pensions, Netherlands, Austria, Switzerland.pt_PT
dc.titleChoosing whom to betray: populist right-wing parties, welfare state reforms and the trade-off between office and votespt_PT
dc.typejournal article
dspace.entity.typePublication
oaire.citation.endPage292pt_PT
oaire.citation.issue2pt_PT
oaire.citation.startPage271pt_PT
oaire.citation.titleEuropean Political Science Reviewpt_PT
oaire.citation.volume7pt_PT
rcaap.rightsopenAccesspt_PT
rcaap.typearticlept_PT

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