Narratives of Hope and Possibility: 'Patriots for Europe' as an Ultrasocial Populist Movement

This paper builds on a growing body of literature evidencing the role of emotionality in the rise and success of populist parties. While research has established the role of negative emotions such as anger and fear in populist communication (Hameleers et al. 2017; Wodak 2015), preliminary evidence shows that positive emotions such as hope and pride can be central too (see e.g., Bonansinga 2022; Wirz 2018). To better understand the interplay between positive emotions and populism, this paper examines the EU Parliament group ‘Patriots for Europe’ through the novel theoretical lenses of ultrasociality, an International Relations theory of cooperation advanced by Cross (2024). The paper unpacks ultrasociality by examining the group’s use of hope, pride and compassion appeals, three positive emotions that relate to intergroup cooperation, which are captured through the use of appraisal theory and core relational themes (Bonansinga 2022; Kuhlmann and Starke 2024; Lazarus 2006) an established qualitative strategy that enables researchers to trace emotions in political texts. By triangulating the literatures on emotions, ultrasociality and populism, the paper sheds a new theoretical light on the success of populism and the resonance of its narratives, while highlighting a ‘darker’ side of ultrasociality that can feed reactionary politics rather than progress.