Societies outside metropolises : the role of civil society organisations in facing populism

The Study identifies the factors influencing citizens' choices in favour of populism and the role of civil society organisations (CSOs) in countering it in eight nonmetropolitan areas with high populist vote, one above and one below the EU average per country: Klagenfurt-Villach and Niederösterreich-Süd (Austria), Drôme and Aisne (France), Udine and Reggio di Calabria (Italy), Płocki and Nowosądecki (Poland). Extensive desk research, two statistical analyses, 616 opinions of citizens from the regions, three focus groups and 54 in-depth interviews with CSOs and experts have informed the study's findings. Socioeconomic and cultural factors of populism vary across different social groups, between countries and between different regions within a country. No factor alone causes populism - there is an interplay of factors, which feed on and reinforce each other. The crises of representative democracy, diminished trust in traditional parties and online disinformation are strong additional factors. CSOs do not recognise populism as a distinctive type of challenge. There is a lack of encompassing and comprehensive civic initiatives in tackling populism due to the complexity of the phenomenon, the shrinking civic space in terms of lack of an enabling environment for CSOs operation, limited human resources, reduced funding and a lack of expertise.