Emotion strategies of EU-based human rights and humanitarian Civil society Organizations (CSOs) in times of populism

Abstract

This article analyses how the strategies of European Union (EU) based Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) have evolved in the context of the rise of populism with a specific focus on the role of emotions. I propose an in-depth qualitative analysis of human rights and humanitarian EU level CSOs involved in the protection of refugees and asylum seekers. Emotions inspiring CSOs values, such as compassion have been seriously challenged after the populist turn. This article also shows how CSOs’ emotion-based strategies (including blaming and shaming, vilification, boosting and compassion selection) have evolved in the context of the rise of populism. Data is retrieved from semi-structured interviews, position papers, press releases and speeches from key well-established EU-level CSOs including Amnesty International (AI), the International Rescue Committee (IRC), Human Rights Watch (HRW) and Doctors Without Borders (Médecins Sans Frontières-MSF).