Left-wing populism in Europe: A comparison between Podemos and France Insoumise

Abstract

Left-wing populist parties have become increasingly central to European politics since the 2008 economic crisis, but have been analysed less often than radical right-wing populist parties. This research contributes to filling this gap through a comparison of Podemos and France Insoumise, two paradigmatic cases of left-wing populist parties. Two dimensions are analysed: the discourse and the inner organisation of the parties. The article is based on qualitative content analysis of policy and organisational documents published by both parties, and on public interventions made by their respective leaders during the periods of emergence and consolidation of each party. The analysis allows us to reach two conclusions. First, Podemos and France Insoumise both promote discourses that are inclusive in their symbolic, material and political dimensions – which allows us to distinguish them from the radical populist right. Second, the two parties have different structures, which suggests that left-wing populism does not necessarily imply a specific organisational model.