Populism in the Balkans Populism and political parties POL 133 Věra Stojarová Populism •Hostility towards representative politics •Heartland and the people •Lack of core values, negativism •Sense of extreme crisis •Non-political nature of populist movements and charistmatic leader •Chameleonic nature Main features of Slovenia and the Western/Eastern Balkan states si-flag croatia_flag_w Bosnia_flag macedonia_flag srbsko ALBA0001 bg romania What is Balkan? Western Balkan, southern, eastern?? Dates: (395, 1054, end of 14, century, 1453) Dissolution of yugoslavia into what?? - Nations, ethnics, religions, language, script, lliteracy, life standard montenegro_flag kosovo flag Timeline • • • •1991 Slovenia •1991-95 Croatia •1992-95 BiH •1997 Anarchy in Albania •1998-99 Kosovo •2000 Presevo valley •2001 Macedonia •2003 Belgrade agreement •2006 Montenegro •2008 Kosovo •2009 Albania, Croatia NATO •2013 Croatia EU •2017 Montenegro NATO •2020 N. Macedonia NATO • • • • Populism in the Balkans •Croatia: Croatian Democratic Union HDZ •Bosnia and Herzegovina: parties based on ethnicity •Serbia: Serbian Radical Party, Serbian Progressive Party strong nationalist /populist parties •Montenegro: one man show •Macedonia: VMRO-DPMNE •Kosovo: Vetevendosje •Romania: PP-DD (nationalist PRM) •Bulgaria: GERB, NDSV, RZS (nationalist: VMRO and Ataka) • ethnic-yugo In the name of the people or in the name of the nation?? •Post-Yugoslavian states – nationalism tied with populism, right wing populism, extreme sense of crisis during the wars • •Romania, Bulgaria – social populism in Bulgarian GERB, NDSV, RZS and Romanian PP-DD, nationalist populism in the case of Bulgarian Ataka and VMRO and Romanian PRM Post-Yugoslavian states •Enemy: USA, other nation, ethnic, globalism, NATO, ICTY, political representation •Heartland •Lack of core values – nationalism as the ideology •Sense of extreme crisis – Balkan wars, simplicity, emotions, straightness •Charismatic leader – Balkan parties as one man show •Chameleonic nature Populism in Croatia •Polarisation •Nativist populism HDZ – Kolinda Grabar-Kitarovic •Veteran organisations, Church •Za dom spremni, Chessboard, Kuna, Jasenovac, Street names, Homeland war, Victory Day, Thompson •HSP •Živi zid – squating, lower taxes, monetary system not fair, legalisation of marihuana, Populism in Serbia •Serbia engaged in wars (Croatia, BiH, Kosovo) •Enemies – Croats, Muslims, Albanians, USA, EU, NATO, „international community“, ICTY, globalism, internal dimension for/against SPS/“democrats“ •Heartland : Srbija do Tokija, Srbija is like a Nokia, its getting smaller and smaller •In the name of the people = in the name of the nation •Charismatic leader : parties as one man shows – Slobodan Milošević, Vojislav Šešelj, Vuk Drašković, •Chameleonic nature – SRS with Socialists or against them? • ethnic-yugo Current populism in Serbia - SNS •Serbian Progressive Party (Srpska napredna stranka, SNS) •Tomislav Nikolic/Alexandar Vucic •nationalism, traditionalism, anti-modernism, anti-westernisation, •Serbian Orthodox Church, traditional society, football hoooligans •Anniversaries of NATO „air campaign“, ICTY decisions, omnipotent Kosovo case Aleksandar Vučic •Minister of information 1998-2000 •In opposition – frequent guest of popular TV shows •Minister of defence 2012-13 •PM 2013-2017 •President 2017- Ceremonial power??? •Illiberal régime •Stabilitocracy •"Who controls the past controls the future; who controls the present controls the past" (1948). •"National media in Serbia has become a face of Vucic. Nothing less. Nothing more" (Savcic 2020). •National martyr - State is me •"Wherever you go, you encounter the companies that I opened, whichever road you take, I built it, whichever railway you see, I made it. The airport is modernizing now, that's also all me. I raised pensions and salaries, and I will keep raising them. What can they say about that?" (Vucic 2020) •Portrait – man of the people - FB and Instagram full of pics with the PEOPLE •The PEOPLE vs. the ENEMIES of the NATION (the FAKE elite) Populism in North Macedonia •National populism •VMRO-DPMNE •Alexander the Great, airport, highway, Skopje •Antiquisation •Nationalism •Zoran Zaev – Greece, Bulgaria, EU??? • • Populism in BiH •Parties based on ethnicity •Authoritarian régime in RS – Dodik •In the name of the nation bosnia_herzegovina_pol97 Populism in Montenegro ??? •Milo Djukanovic forever •Montenegrin forever •Towards the EU and NATO •Together with Russia?? •Populist style • Populism in Kosovo •Vetevendosje •Albin Kurti •Self-determination – referendum •Clan parties •Against the established parties (PDK,AAK,LDK) Populism in Bulgaria •NDSV – National Movement for Stability and Progress •GERB •Ataka •RZS – Order, Law and Justice Bulgaria: GERB – Citizens for European development of Bulgaria •heraldic sign or coat of arms in Bulgarian as acronym •personal bodyguard of King Simeon II. Boyko Borissov. •2009 to date •discourse against the ruling elite and the mafia •an image of a person trying to solve everyday problems and going to many cities in Bulgaria •“I proved I can satisfy people’s needs- while the others were talking, I was working and solving problems”. • “us” versus “them” •to finish once and for all with the mafia and the former agents of the communist secret services in Bulgaria •always present in the media •close to the people, “one of them”, always being present and “speaking their language”. His direct contact with people certainly distinguished him also from the “aristocratic” style of King Simeon II • Bulgaria: Ataka •Volen Siderov •Anti-establishment, anti-NATO and anti-EU discourse as well as his hostile attitude the Turkish and Roma minorities in Bulgaria. •the world conspiracy theories and the anti-Bulgarian policies •scored 8% on the national elections, thus becoming the fourth largest party in Bulgarian Parliament •discourse of “Us” vs “Them” : “they are corrupt and will ruin the future of our country”, “they work with the mafia and steal our money”, “they are all enemies of Bulgaria”. •It criticises the organization of the political system: • direct democracy, a “greater control on the politicians and judiciary monitoring of their actions”. •also mobilized its supporters while going on the streets and organizing public meetings Bulgaria: Order, Law and Justice -RZS •directed against Bulgarian political elite’s corruption, the fight against the mafia and the politicians related with organized crime circles. •Its leader Yane Yanev •stayed marginal •The discourse “the corrupt elite” vs. “the honest people” •Protest party Romania: Greater Romania Party, PRM •its inspiration from the communist regime, i.e., the regime of Nicolae Ceauşescu. •the preservation of national values, traditions, the defence of the national interest, culture and religion. •incorporation of Moldova and part of Ukraine into Romania at the beginning of the 1990s. •anti-Semitic and xenophobic postures, targeting Jews, Hungarians and Romas, •a fight against corruption, nepotism, discrimination and economic crime – and promotes a strong state • Free and Fair elections •inaccuracy of the voters’ register (multiple voting, voting of dead and those who emigrated) •politicised electoral commissions •vote buying, party employment, intimidation of voters, job loss threats •blurring of state and party activities, control of the media • Media freedom •media under direct influence of the ruling party or owned by the proxys of ruling elite leading to extensive coverage of ruling party and minimum coverage of oppositional parties •direct verbal/physical attacks on journalist supported by politicians shaping so the public discourse that media are enemies •arrests of investigative journalists •regulatory bodies close to the ruling parties •defamation, insult, incitement to hatred and other open ended concepts leading to self-censorship •over-regulation leading to charges against media outlets • Privileged access to public resources and misuese of power •secret contracts •non-transparent budgets •economic subsidies to the loyal ones without proper oversight •party patronage in public as well as private sector •manipulised public tenders •appointing only party loyals to the top positions in public companies • Civil society and other independent institutions •Ombudsman •Civil society •Other independent institutions with oversight function • Illiberal Democracy and Populism/Nationalism •