Ecology for the rich? Class aspects of the green transition and the threat of right-wing populism as a reaction to its costs in Poland

Abstract

AbstractThis article sheds light on the class determinants of ecological attitudes and, at the same time, tries to emphasize the general importance of class differentiation for the implementation of sustainable development policies. This is particularly important in Eastern European countries where, for financial reasons, a green transition raises concerns among social groups that may feel threatened by additional socioeconomic costs. Using empirical data collected in Poland, we point out that the challenges, implementation, and social costs of a green transition can be used by populist and nationalist right-wing politicians. At the same time, right-wing populists depict ecological activists as a threat to the interests of “ordinary people” and identify them with the liberal metropolitan elites, detached from the worries of people with lower incomes and residents of traditionalist provinces. In the current conditions, the fear of increases in energy and fuel prices may be another source of support for an anti-ecological right-wing agenda against the “global pressure” of the liberal establishment. This narrative may be particularly attractive in peripheral and semi-peripheral countries in Europe and around the world as it refers not only to ideological arguments but also to the economic interests of “ordinary people.”

Keywords

• Social class
• right-wing populism
• green transition
• heating
• transport
• working people