Greek Populism: a Political History

GREEKPOP is a groundbreaking interdisciplinary research project aimed at redefining the study of European populism by redirecting attention from contemporary political developments to the historical and cultural legacy of populist mobilization on the continent.

While populism has garnered global attention, prompting scholars in other regions of the world to grapple with the historical roots of the phenomenon in their respective nations, European scholarship has lagged behind.

This project seeks to begin bridging this gap by providing a case study of the early legacy of populism in Greece, a notable hub of populist movements in the European South.

Employing a mixed-methods approach that combines Natural Language Processing and collective action frame analysis, GREEKPOP leverages an extensive dataset of parliamentary debates, campaign speeches, and newspaper editorials to offer a comprehensive examination of Greek populism from the nation's inception to the late 1960s.

By embracing historical, social, political, and cultural perspectives in an interdisciplinary manner, GREEKPOP ushers a nuanced understanding of populism's profound impact on Greek society, enriching our grasp of populism's enduring influence on political culture and institutions.

Ultimately, GREEKPOP aims to inspire similar initiatives at the wider European level by showcasing its theoretical and methodological model as a basis for a comparative research agenda that will encompass several national case studies to produce a comprehensive History of European Populism.

GREEKPOPs findings and dissemination approach will inform and educate policymakers, the media, and the wider public, assisting them in acquiring a broad, historically and culturally-conscious, understanding of the populist phenomenon and enabling them to reflect better on how to mitigate its adverse effects on European societies, thus securing the resilience and inclusivity of our democracies.