Rules Under Pressure: How Radical Right Populists Are Reshaping Europe’s Parliaments
Europe’s legislatures are under increasing pressure from radical right populist parties that claim to embody the unfiltered “will of the people” and challenge the legitimacy of parliamentary institutions. Historically, once in office, mainstream parties have relied on procedural mechanisms, many dating to the 19th century, that favour swift government business. This project examines whether the entry of radical right populist parties in European parliaments prompts systematic alterations to these procedures, thereby either restricting or expanding individual MPs’ rights to speak, propose legislation, and scrutinise the executive. Methodologically, the project will integrate quantitative and qualitative approaches within a comparative framework. First, it adopts the ParlRulesData method to track textual amendments in parliamentary rules of procedure over time, capturing macro-level (broad textual shifts), meso-level (specific policy areas), and micro-level (individual rule clauses) changes. Second, it draws on archival materials, semi-structured interviews with MPs and parliamentary staff, and direct observations of parliamentary sessions to clarify how radical right party entry interacts with legislative reform.
