OCEU 2215 - Populism and Foreign Policy

***UPDATED for 2025/26***

As populist parties or leaders have made it to power in several countries around the globe, populism has moved from being mainly a phenomenon in domestic politics to becoming also a foreign policy matter. Yet, while the domestic sources and manifestations of populism have been abundantly studied, its translations in and implications for international relations have received much less attention. How does populism influence foreign policy outputs, processes and outcomes? Do populist parties adopt common and distinct positions in international and European affairs? To what extent does the advent of a populist government change a country’s foreign policy orientation? To explore these questions, this course will rely on the scholarly literature, relevant conceptual tools, detailed case-study analyses, tasked-based exercises, and students’ own research work and prior knowledge.

LEARNING OUTCOMES

• Identify the defining characteristics, core features and various political incarnations of populism in domestic politics and international relations
• Apply theoretical lenses and conceptual tools to scientifically unpack populism and, especially, its relationship with foreign policy
• Analyze empirical data, examples and cases related to populist actors’ foreign policy preferences, discourse and decisions in various countries around the world
• Compare the different political incarnations of populism and their various effects on foreign policy in different national, regional and transnational contexts
• Evaluate and discuss the policy implications of the rise of populism

PROFESSIONAL SKILLS

• Academic and policy research
• Analysis
• Critical and creative thinking
• Policy advice
• Oral and written communication

The three assignments will be assessed based on criteria and guidelines that will be provided for each at the beginning of the semester. The assignments (especially written ones) are expected to meet the traditional academic standards of university work (i.e. in terms of engagement with academic sources, concepts, methods, etc).

Feedback on the three assignments will be provided via Moodle in the following way:

• written feedback on the presentation provided the week after (the grade will only be available at the end of the semester though)
• oral feedback (audio message) on the research outline within 2 weeks
• oral feedback (audio message) on the research paper within 2-3 weeks

. Class participation and engagement (10%) (throughout the semester)

. Oral presentation: group of two-three students (25%) (throughout the semester)

. Research outline (15%) (mid-semester)

. Research paper (50%) (end of the semester)

• In Class Presence: 2 hours a week / 24 hours a semester
• Online learning activities:
• Reading and Preparation for Class: 24 hours a semester
• Research and Preparation for Group Work: 24 hours a semester
• Research and Writing for Individual Assessments: 78 hours a semester