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Ibiza, Bribes, Pedophiles Imperil Populist Surge Before EU Vote

Ibiza, Bribes, Pedophiles Imperil Populist Surge Before EU Vote

(Bloomberg) -- A populist campaign against Europe’s political establishment is on the back foot in key battlegrounds, amid a series of scandals that have tainted the image of firebrand insurgents ahead of an EU-wide ballot this weekend.

In Poland, a documentary depicting Catholic bishops covering up cases of pedophilia among clergy has become the main campaign topic ahead of the European Parliament elections, and the ruling Law & Justice party’s staunch support for the church is taking a toll on the populist government’s popularity. A potential victory for the European Coalition of opposition parties would signal support for populism is waning in one of its strongholds.

Ibiza, Bribes, Pedophiles Imperil Populist Surge Before EU Vote

Meanwhile, Austrian politics has been thrown into turmoil after a video, filmed on the resort island of Ibiza, showed Vice Chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache of the far-right Freedom Party offering state contracts in return for campaign funds. All of the party’s ministers resigned from government and Chancellor Sebastian Kurz is set to face a no-confidence vote on Monday.

Freedom Party support weakened somewhat in polls published after the scandal, a trend the group is trying to halt by blaming their plight on an international conspiracy.

Worst Defeat

In Italy, the European elections don’t appear to be the walk in the park that deputy premier and League leader Matteo Salvini was expecting. The Italian strongman suffered his worst defeat in nearly a year in government after Five Star ministers convinced Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte to oust a Salvini lieutenant over corruption allegations.

To be sure, some populist politicians have shown an ability to transcend the stigma of being tied to tawdry revelations that may have sunk the prospects of more mainstream candidates. President Donald Trump, despite being accused of authorizing hush money payments to a porn star among a host of alleged transgressions, is overwhelmingly popular among his base.

Ibiza, Bribes, Pedophiles Imperil Populist Surge Before EU Vote

Britain’s populist-in-chief Nigel Farage has also managed to brush off questions raised about the financing of his Brexit Party, which was ahead in the polls before Thursday’s EU ballot in the U.K.

In the Netherlands, voters already gave their verdict, and exit polls showed that it wasn’t the triumph populists were hoping for. Mainstream Dutch parties are expected to take the top positions in Thursday’s election, with Labor, which staunchly supports the 28-nation bloc, poised to finish first.

The long election weekend is far from over, with right-wing populists in France and Germany having shown teflon qualities to scandals. Mainstream parties can only hope that the populist surge will be contained to the sole country which is due to leave the European Union.

Ibiza, Bribes, Pedophiles Imperil Populist Surge Before EU Vote

--With assistance from Alexander Weber, Boris Groendahl, Tommaso Ebhardt and Joost Akkermans.

To contact the reporter on this story: Nikos Chrysoloras in Brussels at nchrysoloras@bloomberg.net

To contact the editors responsible for this story: Chad Thomas at cthomas16@bloomberg.net, Richard Bravo, Iain Rogers

©2019 Bloomberg L.P.