L’ascesa del populismo e il suo impatto sulle relazioni sino-europee - The Rise of Populism and its Impact on Sino-European Relations

Abstract

Although there is no single “populist foreign policy,” populism does have a profound impact on the foreign policies of States, and on international relations by extension. Populist movements not only shape the debate but also substantially influence the way Europe engages with China. However, there is no clear evidence showing that populist governments are more negative toward China than non-populist governments. European populists have neither staked their mandate on the China card, nor focused their negative energies on China very much. Instead, as calls for greater assertiveness grow across Europe, countries governed by mainstream parties seem to take a much more negative stance. Overall, the rise of populism has contributed to fragmentation and uncertainties in European politics; therefore, it presents very significant challenges to Europe-China relations.