Numbers, Facts and Trends Shaping Your World

Exploring traditional and populist party support in 8 Western European countries

People in Western Europe differ in their attitudes about major political parties and on key policy issues based on their ideology and whether their views are more populist or mainstream. A Pew Research Center study of eight countries’ political dynamics used those factors to categorize survey respondents into six political groups: Left Populists, Left Mainstream, Center Populists, Center Mainstream, Right Populists and Right Mainstream – plus a seventh, Unaffiliated, who identify with no particular ideology.