The COVID-19 crisis led to increased confidence in governments in many European countries. Restrictions of personal liberties, contact bans and curfews, the lockdown of large sectors of the economy, and the expansion of executive powers in many places imposed to combat the pandemic were widely welcomed and accepted, especially at the beginning of the crisis.

However, as the restrictions stretched over weeks, an increasing trend appeared towards a fresh increase of discontent and mistrust towards the governments; in some countries - such as Germany - protests ensued.

Moreover, fake news and conspiracy ideologies were not without influence in the public debate.

Analyses from Sweden, Finland, Italy, France, Greece, Spain and Germany, all countries with strong or growing right-wing populist movements and parties, explore the question of whether right-wing populism in Europe has been able to benefit from the corona crisis. This summary categorises the trends and developments from a comparative perspective.