Right-wing populist ideas are steadily gaining mainstream acceptance in several European countries, as evidenced by the recent electoral successes of right-wing parties in European Parliament, Italy, France, Germany, and elsewhere. But what exactly is populism, and why are these parties attracting so many voters? The answer lies in the deep-seated cultural, economic, and security anxieties that charismatic populist leaders exploit by proposing simple answers to complex issues.

Andrea Stanley Hester is the immediate past co-president of the World Affairs Council of Maine and former president of the Harvard Club in Maine. She is currently an instructor at the Osher Lifelong Learning Insitute at the University of Southern Maine, where she teaches classes in European history and political science.

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