In the last 15 years, populist-led governments have emerged in all V4 countries. Beyond people-centrism and anti-elitism, populist leaders are characterised by specific rhetoric on cultural and social issues. Given the significant increase in the success of populists, who are no longer just an oppositional and challenging force but increasingly forming the executive in various countries, social issues are thus not only the subject of the rhetoric of these actors. Populists gain direct and indirect influence on the shaping of public policies. These relate not only to broader cultural issues but also to social issues that are often linked to cultural ones (social policies towards immigrants, the setting of social assistance, or the more general question of deservingness and undeservingness). So far, experience with existing populist social policies also shows that in some cases, they are accompanied by neo-liberal reforms. These weaken the public sector and transfer some key activities from the state to for-profit or church organisations. The changes in the welfare states are thus significant. The project aims to map the transformation of the welfare state and social policy priorities in the V4 countries in the era of populist governments. We argue that current welfare state transformations can have far-reaching consequences for social cohesion, one of the key preconditions for preserving the liberal-democratic order. Social policies conceived in this way can increase polarisation in society and alienate groups that are excluded or stigmatised by the new social arrangements.

Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica

University of Debrecen

Jagiellonian University