Populism’s Defeat in France

On Monday August 28, Sylvain Brouard discussed the issue of populism in France, particularly in the context of the 2016 French presidential election. Brouard shared his research on the influence of populist attitudes in France compared to other European states. He explained that populism typically manifests on both sides of the political spectrum with individuals who have adopted political values along the colloquially defined “people-first” rhetoric.

He included a brief profile of each of the major candidates in the recent French presidential election, and then outlined the way in which the campaigns embodied the uprising populist spirit in the changing role of France in the European Union.

Brouard is a researcher at SciencesPo in France, where he specializes in comparative politics and the study of political competition. He has previously visited Washington State University as a guest professor in 2010 and 2011.