Right-Wing Populism and the COVID-19 Shock: Evidence From Early Superspreader Events

Ranjit Lall, Thomas Davidson, Felix Hagemeister, Department of Politics and International Relations, University of Oxford, Department of Sociology, Rutgers University, New Brunswick, Data Science Team, Süddeutsche Zeitung Digitale Medien

Comparative Political Studies

Published online on May 26, 2026

Abstract

Comparative Political Studies, Ahead of Print.
Can public health shocks boost right-wing populism? We investigate how the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic impacted support for populists in Western Europe, an unresolved debate on which surprisingly little systematic evidence exists. Building on theories ...