Chinese Academic Representations of the Rise of Populism in Europe

The rise of populist parties in some European countries and their competition with mainstream parties, have brought European populism to the attention of Chinese academics, creating discourses that address this topic. These narratives represent Chinese academics' representations of the origins of European populism and its impact on European politics and European integration. Different perspectives bring about a plurality of narratives of European populism by Chinese academics. The rise of European populism is attributed to the worse economic situation, the high unemployment rate, decreasing social welfare and the rapid increase of foreign immigration. Although Chinese academics debate the question of whether populism has changed Europe’s political ecology, the predominant discourses emphasise the negative impact of populism on European politics and European integration as well as on Sino-European relations.