Radical populism represents the greatest challenge to liberal democracy across Europe. The emergence of this
phenomenon has impacted both established democracies, such as the United Kingdom when we think of Brexit, and new
democracies, such as Hungary and Poland. Populist actors have also played a role in the COVID pandemic and in the
context of Russia's war on Ukraine, as they mobilize people against mainstream policies that attempt to manage these
crises. Despite the general importance of populism as a political phenomenon, including at the EU level, its history and
impact vary widely across Europe. It is important to understand the specific causes and effects of the success of populism,
because not all forms of political radicalism or authoritarianism are populist. The talk will address these questions and
show that populism is closely related to the decline in legitimacy of established institutions and traditional elites in times
of social and economic change. Drawing especially on the case of Austria, where radical populism has been long
established, the lecture and discussion will provide an overview of this phenomenon and the state of political science
research.