A virtuous cycle? Migrant integration policies, attitudes toward immigration, and populist radical right voting in Europe

Abstract

Are citizens less likely to support populist radical right parties (PRRPs) in countries with more inclusive migrant integration policies? Studies show that integration policies foster positive attitudes toward migrants, which, in turn, are associated with a lower likelihood of supporting PRRPs. However, the impact of integration policies on PRRP voting has not been assessed yet on a cross-country level—neither direct nor dependent on (anti)immigration attitudes. Using data from the European Social Survey 2016 and the Migrant Integration Policy Index (MIPEX) from 2011 and 2015 for 15 EU member states, we show that more inclusive integration policies are associated with a lower likelihood to support PRRPs. We also find a moderating effect of these policies on the impact of attitudes toward migrants on PRRP voting. However, the effect of migration policy change seems to be more context dependent.