The Radical Right and Gender Issues in Southern Europe: a Comparative Analysis

Despite their reputation as largely male-supported, male-represented and male-led parties, populist radical right parties (PRRPs) are increasingly engaging on women and gender issues, but their positions on these issues vary significantly from party to party. What are the main factors influencing the (greater or lesser) attention and the position that these parties have on gender This paper aims to answer these questions through the analysis of four PRRPs in three Southern European countries, namely Italy, Portugal and Spain. The latter represent, in fact, three very interesting cases. On the one hand, Italy has recently witnessed the success of a PRRP, Fratelli d'Italia, led by a woman, Giorgia Meloni, who also became the first woman Prime Minister in the country's history. At the same time, the presence of another PRRP, Lega, led by a man, Matteo Salvini, gives us the opportunity to compare two parties belonging to the radical right family in the same country. On the other hand, Portugal and Spain, known for the absence of the radical right in their respective assemblies, have recently seen the rise of two PRRPs, Chega and Vox, and their entry into parliament for the first time. Both are consequently understudied cases, particularly regarding the role of gender in their respective programmes. Starting with an overview of all parties and their respective leaders, this paper aims to explore the relevance they attach to gender issues and their stance on the same issues by examining, first, their manifestos and, then, the bills they initiated when they were all sitting in the opposition benches.