Syriza—a leftist populist party in Greece—exemplifies a blend of socio-economic and cultural populism. It gained popularity after the 2008 financial crisis by utilizing populist rhetoric against economic elites. However, it displayed nationalist and xenophobic tendencies in power—in 2015, the Syriza government detained journalists who covered the migrant crisis.

Example of Socio-economic Populism in Practice (Greece)

Contemporary socio-economic populists who have recently overseen periods of democratic backsliding in their countries include Morales (Bolivia), Correa (Ecuador), Syriza (Greece), Ortega (Nicaragua), Chávez (Venezuela), and Maduro (Venezuela).

Wesleyan University

Socio-economic populism identifies the “true people” as the hard-working and often low-income members of society who are suffering under a wealthy and corrupt elite. Although usually paired with a left-wing ideology, socio-economic populism can pair with more conservative cultural stances as well.

Socio-economic populism

Kyle, J. & Meyer, B. (2020, February 7). High Tide? Populism in Power, 1990-2020. Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. https://institute.global/policy/high-tide-populism-power-1990-2020

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