Left authoritarianism and positional shifts of populist parties in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

The key to understanding the emergence of left authoritarianism in Central and Eastern Europe lies in how populist parties alter their policy positions during times of crises. In response to the refugee crisis of 2015, these parties adopt extreme stances on cultural issues. Interestingly, the same parties did not appear to modify their economic policy positions when confronted with the financial crisis of 2008. The case studies of Lithuania and Hungary presented in this article add that the success of these shifts depends on party competition, the electoral system, corruption scandals, and political actors’ commitment to voter- party linkage.