An emerging populist welfare paradigm? How populist radical right-wing parties are reshaping the welfare state

Abstract

Populist radical right-wing parties (PRRPs) in Western Europe have almost without exception shifted their position on distributive issues, abandoning their earlier support for a minimal welfare state in favor of higher social spending. Recent studies suggest that PRRPs' distributive preferences go beyond the clash between simply expanding or retrenching welfare; instead, they defend a specific welfare state that focuses on consumption policies for the “deserving.” Drawing on this literature and the welfare paradigm literature, this paper suggests that PRRPs are not only welfare chauvinist but that they promote what we call a “dualistic” welfare state: protectionism for the “deserving” and neoliberal for the “undeserving.” To unpack PRRPs' welfare attitude and verify their influence on welfare reforms, this study focuses on two cases in which a PRRP cooperated with governing parties: Denmark (2009–2011) and Austria (2017–2019). The study confirms that PRRPs pursued a coherent but dual approach to welfare state distribution. Policy negotiations show that PRRPs successfully pursue austerity and workfare measures for social policies targeting the “undeserving,“ while preserving and expanding consumption policies for the “deserving.” This paper thus contributes to the research on PRRPs' welfare attitudes and, more broadly, the recent welfare transformations in Western Europe.