Populist-Nationalism and Foreign Policy: Cultural Diplomacy, International Interaction and Resilience

Abstract

The Report addresses resilience strategies as a response to nationalists as actors of foreign cultural policy. It focuses on the last several years, especially that period since the global financial crisis of 2008 that has seen a rise of nationalist populism as a political phenomenon across the globe - including the United States, Asia and Europe. The Report captures the essence of what we call the populist nationalist zeitgeist (PNZ) and its infiltration of the European political and policy process, including the role of emerging communications technologies. It examines these phenomena at both the level of ideas and ideology and at the level of practical politics, foreign policy and international relations. Empirically it focuses on Europe with particular reference to the European Union (EU) and several key member states (France, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Netherlands, Poland and the UK) to identify the key populist movements and parties and their beliefs, policies and practices. Through an investigation of literature, expert commentary, news reporting and social media, it investigates trends and practices of populist movements in their views and in-fluences on international relations and foreign policy. The Report gives special attention to the cultural dynamics of foreign policy and the degree to which actors (from both government and civil society) can develop strategies of cultural resilience against the populist nationalist urge. The Report stresses however that such strategies cannot be pursued in isolation from their wider socio-political and economic contexts.