Populism and ethno-territorial politics - conclusions: bridging legacies in understanding party mobilization

This conclusion presents some closing thoughts on the key concepts discussed in the preceding chapters of this book. The book discusses the relationship between populism and territory-related dimensions in order to develop a new perspective for understanding current trends in party mobilization across Europe. It explores how nation-state populist parties consider territorial opportunities and constraints when shaping their national messages. The book focuses on the issue of Kosovo, since this region represents not only the most profound challenge to Serbia’s sovereignty but is also, as a territory, a core constitutive element in Serbia’s national majority narrative. It examines the development of scholarship on ethno-territorial ideologies, and in particular to the literature on regionalist parties. The strength with which the regionalist populist dichotomy is used may depend on various factors: from the compatibility/incompatibility between the regional and nation-state identity to the intensity of a regionalist struggle against the nation-state.