A populist Zeitgeist? The impact of populism on parties, media and the public in Western Europe

Various scholars have claimed that populism has become mainstream in Western Europe, and that we are therefore witnessing a populist ‘Zeitgeist’ in this part of the world. This dissertation puts this claim to the test. Have political parties, media and citizens indeed become increasingly populist and dissatisfied with politics? The findings are mixed. Although media have become increasingly populist and the message of populist parties has fueled political dissatisfaction among voters, mainstream parties have not become more populist over the years. Moreover, populist parties themselves have even become less populist after their initial successes. This indicates that, despite the large impact of populist parties on Western European societies, populism is not pervasive to the extent that we can speak of an all-encompassing populist Zeitgeist.