Populist parties in Europe
It is hard to open a newspaper nowadays without being confronted by populism. In relation to the European Parliament elections in May 2014, it is reasonable to write a few words about populist parties in Europe and take a deeper look at their historical backgrounds. The influence of populist parties is growing. They are mobilising the masses who are concerned about the European financial and fiscal crisis, which has created insecurity and doubt about the existing political systems and social organizations. These are usually presented as corrupted and elitist without any sense to listen to the wishes of the common people. The EU is seen as an open window for immigrants who are threatening national cultures and safety. The most important point was balancing the literature; some authors see populists as a threat to democratic states and others describe them as a challenge to the existing political structures and systems. Here, the focus is on relevant, actively participating, populist political parties that are involved in political developments and events in selected countries: France-National Front, Netherlands-Party for Freedom and Socialist Party, United Kingdom-UK Independence Party, Sweden-Sweden Democrats, Finland-The Finns, Denmark-Danish People’s Party and Norway-Progress Party.