The recent election for the European Parliament is an example of an event that again spurred debate on populism in Europe. The paper investigates how the concept of the people and, I argue, the closely related concept of the individual are sought decontested by the Eurosceptic parties. Based on this analysis, the paper shows how the interpretation of the ‘people’ and the ‘individual’ as it is presented in political debates can add nuances to populism as a concept. This is, I argue, such concrete and contingent political ideas that needs to be engaged with in the discussion of the definition and normative standing of populism. The paper further critically engages with the discussion of whether we, from a democratic point of view, should be cautious of populism, by showing that the populism seen in the election for the European Parliament should be understood as existing within the European political structure.
