The Political Relevance of the Migration Issue at the 2017 Czech, Dutch and German Elections

Authors: Niels Back, David Březina, Tereza Chmelíková, Stefan Drexler, Claudia Elion, Marthe Hesselmans, Daniel Mikecz

Editor:  Dániel Mikecz

Supported by Republikon

Year: 2018

The volume looks at the German, Dutch and Czech election campaigns of 2017 and examines the relevance of the migration issue in the election campaigns, the stance of respective parties on migration, and the interpretation and framing of the issue in the rhetoric of top candidates two years after the peak of the refugee crisis. Its aim is to examine the extent to which the populist rhetoric on migration worked and the election results it produced in countries where migration was a central issue in the campaign. By comparing the party strategies and election outcomes used in these countries and in the Hungarian election campaign of 2018, we can draw conclusions about the most successful narratives and strategies liberals can employ against populist demagogy. What was the difference between the Czech, German, Dutch election campaign and their Hungarian counterpart? Could the hate campaign against migrants continue to work after April 2018?