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The Populist Curtain: Austria and Italy

Yascha Mounk on democracy at risk

Austria and Italy

The Populist Curtain

BBC Radio 4 - The Populist Curtain, Austria and Italy

Meeting the populists governing European nations on the route of the former Iron Curtain

Yascha Mounk meets  the populists governing European nations on the route of the former Iron Curtain.

In 1946, Winston Churchill coined a memorable phrase: “From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic an iron curtain has descended across the continent,” . Today the Soviet Union has gone, but populist parties are in government in every country along the route of the Iron Curtain, as defined by Churchill. In this series, political scientist Yascha Mounk travels that route, and finds out what is changing under these new governments in smaller cities, far away from the capitals. He speaks to supporters and opponents of the populist parties and builds up a complex picture of Europe in a time of flux. 

In this episode, Yascha stays in countries which were on the West of the former Iron Curtain. Graz in Austria is the birthplace of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Here, populists have been brought into the fold – with the coalition between the centre-right Austrian People's Party and the far-right Freedom Party of Austria running the country. But Graz subverts expectations: the Communist Party is locally strong here too. His journey ends in the Italian city of Trieste, which was contested city after both WWI and WWII. Here Italy’s peculiar coalition between the Five Star and Lega parties is accused of attacking minorities and immigrants. Will Italy’s numerous smaller opposition parties manage to unite against the coalition?

Producer: Kate Lamble

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Political scientist Yascha Mounk travels the route of the Iron Curtain.

Political scientist Yascha Mounk travels the route of the Iron Curtain - which now passes exclusively through countries where populists are in government.

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