Horizontal heterogeneity. Findings from comparative and case study analysis on the socioeconomic positioning of populist radical right parties in Western Europe

The paper contributes to the debate concerning the socioeconomic/horizontal positioning of Western European populist radical right parties (PRRP) in a reordering political space. Using Manifesto Project data, the paper shows that the average PRRP has shifted from market liberalism to centrism, but only if viewed in absolute terms. If viewed relative to the competition in the respective country, the average PRRP remains on the horizontal right. Moreover, the data show that there is considerable heterogeneity: Different PRRP take different horizontal positions, individual PRRP change their horizontal positions over time, and individual PRRP take different positions on different issues assigned to the horizontal axis. The paper moves on to present a case study of an outlier case. The German AfD takes a pronouncedly market-liberal position on the horizontal axis, while undergoing radicalisation on the vertical axis. The qualitative content analysis of all national manifestos shows how the AfD squares its vertical radicalisation with horizontal liberalism while still being increasingly successful among workers, groups with low incomes, and groups without higher education. This casts doubt on the theses that PRRP are by definition centrist or that they must moderate their economic position to maintain support among their electoral base.