Greening the populist radical right parties: does issue expansion increase voter support?

This paper examines whether the strategic adoption of an environmental agenda yields electoral dividends for populist radical right parties and whether it affects the voter base of established Green parties. Building on the literature of issue expansion and environmental chauvinism, we propose two hypotheses: first, that populist radical right parties gain measurable vote shares after incorporating environmental projects into their platforms; and second, that such greening does not significantly alter the voter base of Green parties, as the two groups are rooted in fundamentally different ideological arguments and attract distinct constituencies. Using a mixed-methods approach, we assess both the determinants and consequences of this policy shift between 1980-2022. Our findings support the first hypothesis, demonstrating that greening enlarges the voter base of radical right parties. In contrast, the analysis reveals no significant impact on the core supporters of the Green parties. These results suggest that the environmental rhetoric adopted by the radical right is not merely symbolic; it is a calculated response to evolving public priorities that enhances their electoral appeal without encroaching on the ideological territory of traditional environmentalists.