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Populism emerges on the terrain of modern civil society, and yet it ultimately entails existential risks for civil society’s fundamentals: populism’s essentialist stance betrays a deep tension with the principle of plurality upon which civil society and liberal democracy are founded. This chapter focuses on the work of EU-Level CSOs, which have emerged as key actors in the anti-discrimination fight at the communitarian level over the last years. Their work involves campaigning tasks such as mapping discriminatory acts, re-framing of public discourse, and lobbying at the European level. Drawing on a document and text analysis, the chapter explores the work of EU-based NGOs, and asks to what extent they build a counter-narrative, alternative to the exclusionary discourse implemented especially by right-wing politics. To this end, this chapter focuses on the main EU-Level CSOs working on gender, race, religion, and migration.

The introductory chapter places the book in the context of the literature on populism and European studies. It serves to sketch the multiple issues and the burning questions that the rise of populism has unwrapped for scholars and practitioners at national and international level. More specifically, it delves into the matter of the impact of populism on European institutions and civil society, setting out the idea of the Brussels bubble as a key aspect in its understanding. By presenting the empirical and normative implication of populism for the EU politics, this chapter explains the relevance of a debate involving academics and practitioners. It then offers an overview of the sections and chapters.