Books by Daniel F . Wajner
Part of the book series: Global Foreign Policy Studies , 2023
This book aims to introduce readers to the emerging and developing field of populism and foreign ... more This book aims to introduce readers to the emerging and developing field of populism and foreign policy, highlighting some of the more important scientific advances in the past decade and setting the stage for future contributions to this growing research program. Across its different chapters, this edited volume examines what is distinctive about populist foreign policy (PFP) in parallel to its diversity in cultural, socio-economic, and political terms. Moreover, by exploring how populist governments addressed their foreign policies in Latin America, North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, the Middle East, East and Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Africa, the book analyzes the domestic and international conditions which enable or constrain PFP in each region.
Cambridge University Press, 2021
Scholars of international relations generally consider that under conditions of violent conflict ... more Scholars of international relations generally consider that under conditions of violent conflict and war, smuggling and trans-border crime are likely to thrive. In contrast, this book argues that in fact it is globalisation and peaceful borders that have enabled transnational illicit flows conducted by violent non-state actors, including transnational criminal organizations, drug trafficking organizations, and terrorist cells, who exploit the looseness and demilitarization of borderlands. Empirically, the book draws on case studies from the Americas, compared with other regions of the world experiencing similar phenomena, including the European Union and Southeast Europe (the Western Balkans), Southern Africa, and Southeast Asia. To explain the phenomenon in itself, the authors examine the type of peaceful borders and regimes involved in each case; how strong each country is in the governance of their borderlands; their political willingness to control their peaceful borders; and the prevailing socio-economic conditions across the borderlands.
Papers by Daniel F . Wajner
Globalizations, 2024
This article explores the distinctive features of Latin American regionalism by examining its rhe... more This article explores the distinctive features of Latin American regionalism by examining its rhetorical justifications during the onset of the COVID-19 crisis. The pandemic offered an exceptional opportunity to witness the professed role of regional organizations in the Global South as bridges between national and international systems: how this role is discursively constructed and the practical limitations it faces in times of disruption. We address different attempts to (self-)justify the relevance of regionalist visions, analyzing how three (inter-)regional organizations of the Americas reacted discursively to the global public health crisis: the Common Market of the South (Mercosur), the Organization of American States (OAS), and the Ibero-American Summits (SEGIB). We examine three features that have traditionally shaped Latin American visions of regionalism: coping with world hegemony; striving for regional autonomy; and expressing transnational solidarity. The findings provide insights for further understanding the legitimation of regional and global governance under conditions of uncertainty.
The Ideational Approach to Populism, Volume II: Consequences and Mitigation. , 2024
The quest for legitimacy has traditionally been intrinsic to the political phenomenon of populism... more The quest for legitimacy has traditionally been intrinsic to the political phenomenon of populism, while (de-)legitimation struggles are increasingly relevant once populist leaderships take government control. However, the rich literatures on populism and legitimacy have hardly interacted and, therefore, analysis of populists’ international (de)legitimation strategies has been scarce. This chapter addresses the ways in which incorporating theoretical frameworks on legitimacy and (de)legitimation into the ideational approach can contribute to better understand the drivers, patterns, and impact of the global rise of contemporary populist leaderships, suggesting new avenues for research on the potential international mitigation of populism.
International studies review, Dec 27, 2023
This article reviews one of the expanding research programs in International Relations (IR): the ... more This article reviews one of the expanding research programs in International Relations (IR): the study of populist foreign policy (PFP). Recent years have witnessed a significant proliferation of IR scholars researching the nexus between the global rise of populism and their foreign policies across different countries, regions, and subfields. However, scientific progress at such stage of this research program demands an in-depth “mapping” of its different ontological approaches. To this end, we identify and explore five different “schools” of PFP that have been consolidated in the last decade, while highlighting their accomplishments in understanding the distinctive populist elements in foreign policy and their possibilities of analyzing local and external conditions under which PFP impacts global politics. We also set the stage for future contributions on the drivers, patterns, and effects of PFP, under the assumption that the populist phenomenon and its transnational dimensions will continue to affect IR prospects for a long time to come.
Comparative European politics, Feb 23, 2024
Populist politics in Southern Europe displays several distinctive patterns related to a shared hi... more Populist politics in Southern Europe displays several distinctive patterns related to a shared history, geography, culture, and economy, while being subject to similar geopolitical pressures. In the last decade, moreover, the Euro-Mediterranean region has been struck by destabilizing shocks: the Eurozone crisis and the refugee crisis, which led to a realignment of party politics, with populist parties of both the left and the right enjoying high levels of popular support and taking, or have gotten close to taking, governmental power. These patterns make Southern Europe an interesting case for the study of populism and foreign policy through a (sub-)regional comparative approach. This article applies a structured, focused comparison of the populist foreign policies (PFP) of France, Italy, Spain, and Greece, seeking to explain how populist leaderships have shaped foreign policy in these countries and the conditions under which their PFP were translated into action. After putting Euro-Mediterranean populism in context, we examine four structural themes of catalysts or constraints that populists face when 'navigating' PFP around the European Mare Nostrum: international power distribution, ideological underpinnings, domestic political system, and policy domains. The comparative analysis reveals how, while populist performances are often aimed at executing a rupture and, as a result, gaining legitimacy, the implementation of PFP in Southern Europe has ultimately been affected by structural pressures to discard these revolutionary impulses and align with the mainstream.
In Populist Foreign Policy: Regional Perspectives of Populism in the International Scene, 2023
This chapter examines the foreign policies of contemporary populist leaderships in the Middle Eas... more This chapter examines the foreign policies of contemporary populist leaderships in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA). Although research on international relations in the region has largely overlooked the impact of populism on policymaking in general and foreign policy in particular, the emergence and strengthening of multiple political leaderships in the last two decades has made this concept increasingly relevant for a greater
Journal of Global Security Studies, 2024
Practitioners, pundits, and scholars increasingly recognize the role that international organizat... more Practitioners, pundits, and scholars increasingly recognize the role that international organizations play in conflicts. Regional organizations (ROs), as brokers of collective security, welfare, and identity, have become particularly active agents during violent crises by granting legitimacy to certain protagonists and discrediting the legitimacy of others, thus affecting international policymaking. However, existing research generally assesses the legitimizing effects of ROs in either a static way, in which the
stances of their member states do not change over time, or in an institutional vacuum, where ROs are not challenged by other ROs. This study aims to shed light on the impact of multiple ROs dynamically and simultaneously intervening in legitimation struggles. It focuses on the 2014–2020 regional “battle” over the legitimate authority of the Chavista–Madurista regime in Venezuela, examining how multiple Latin American ROs articulated their discourse seeking to influence the crisis’ outcomes. To this end, a multi-step process tracing based on four phases (opening, deliberation, judgment, and denouement) is applied. The findings reveal the lively competition between involved actors for the recognition of ROs as the relevant legitimating agents, and the limits faced in achieving collective action when polarization over such a regional legitimating role prevails. The study has novel implications for scholarly understanding of the role of legitimation dynamics in promoting international cooperation during periods of disruption.
International Affairs, 2024
With the global rise to power of populist leaders, over the past decade research on populism, inc... more With the global rise to power of populist leaders, over the past decade research on populism, including its international implications, has flourished. However, we still lack a nuanced understanding of the international effects of this new populist wave. This special section seeks to bridge this gap by systematically examining three types of international effects of populism. One group of contributions addresses the impact of populism on the processes of foreign policy-making in countries governed by populists (politics). Another group focuses on effects in terms of foreign policy agenda and its substantive outcomes (policies). A third group of contributions studies the impact of populism on states’ stances towards international institutions (international polity). This introduction proposes a theoretical framework that takes into account the existent diversity among populist governments, specifically addressing how the more or less authoritarian character of populism explains variations in international outcomes across politics, policies, and polities. A better understanding of these varied characters and effects can contribute new insights to lively debates about the potential challenges that populism(s) pose in the contemporary international order and the potential mitigation prospects.
International Studies Review, 2024
This article reviews one of the expanding research programs in International Relations (IR): the ... more This article reviews one of the expanding research programs in International Relations (IR): the study of populist foreign policy (PFP). Recent years have witnessed a significant proliferation of IR scholars researching the nexus between the global rise of populism and their foreign policies across different countries, regions, and subfields. However, scientific progress at such stage of this research program demands an in-depth “mapping” of its different ontological approaches. To this end, we identify and explore five different “schools” of PFP that have been consolidated in the last decade, while highlighting their accomplishments in understanding the distinctive populist elements in foreign policy and their possibilities of analyzing local and external conditions under which PFP impacts global politics. We also set the stage for future contributions on the drivers, patterns, and effects of PFP, under the assumption that the populist phenomenon and its transnational dimensions will continue to affect IR prospects for a long time to come.
Populist Foreign Policy: Regional Perspectives of Populism in the International Scene, 2023
This book aims to introduce readers to the emerging and developing field of populism and foreign ... more This book aims to introduce readers to the emerging and developing field of populism and foreign policy, highlighting some of the more important scientific advances in the past decade and setting the stage for future contributions to this growing research program. Across its different chapters, this edited volume examines what is distinctive about populist foreign policy (PFP) in parallel to its diversity in cultural, socio-economic, and political terms. Moreover, by exploring how populist governments addressed their foreign policies in Latin America, North America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Southern Europe, the Middle East, East and Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Africa, the book analyzes the domestic and international conditions which enable or constrain PFP in each region.
Comparative European Politics, 2024
Populist politics in Southern Europe displays several distinctive patterns related to a shared hi... more Populist politics in Southern Europe displays several distinctive patterns related to a shared history, geography, culture, and economy, while being subject to similar geopolitical pressures. In the last decade, moreover, the Euro-Mediterranean region has been struck by destabilizing shocks: the Eurozone crisis and the refugee crisis, which led to a realignment of party politics, with populist parties of both the left and the right enjoying high levels of popular support and taking, or have gotten close to taking, governmental power. These patterns make Southern Europe an interesting case for the study of populism and foreign policy through a (sub-)regional comparative approach. This article applies a structured, focused comparison of the populist foreign policies (PFP) of France, Italy, Spain, and Greece, seeking to explain how populist leaderships have shaped foreign policy in these countries and the conditions under which their PFP were translated into action. After putting Euro-Mediterranean populism in context, we examine four structural themes of catalysts or constraints that populists face when 'navigating' PFP around the European Mare Nostrum: international power distribution, ideological underpinnings, domestic political system, and policy domains. The comparative analysis reveals how, while populist performances are often aimed at executing a rupture and, as a result, gaining legitimacy, the implementation of PFP in Southern Europe has ultimately been affected by structural pressures to discard these revolutionary impulses and align with the mainstream.
Populist Foreign Policy: Regional Perspectives of Populism in the International Scene, 2023
This edited volume aimed to provide answers to two key questions: what is distinctive about Popul... more This edited volume aimed to provide answers to two key questions: what is distinctive about Populist Foreign Policy (PFP), and what are the domestic and international factors that enable and constrain PFP. The answers to these questions are increasingly pressing given the changes in global politics...
The Unintended Consequences of Peace, 2021
Global Studies Quarterly
Under what conditions do populists embrace or reject “the international”? Some scholars of populi... more Under what conditions do populists embrace or reject “the international”? Some scholars of populism argue that populist leaders tend to neglect political (inter-)action in the international arena due to their stated preference for isolationist, nationalistic, and protectionist stances. Meanwhile, others claim that through their promotion of performative encounters and transnational solidarities between “People(s),” populists are actually more likely to engage with actors, ideas, styles, and agendas coming from abroad. This article explores this apparent contradiction, hypothesizing that three main elements influence the “populist mindset” to narrate the external world and thus adopt or rather resist new contingencies originating internationally: legitimacy, support, and opportunity. To examine the combination of these behavioral patterns, we compare two populist presidents who are paradigmatic of a fourth wave of populism in Latin America: Brazil's Jair Messias Bolsonaro and Mex...
Populist Foreign Policy: Regional Perspectives of Populism in the International Scene, 2023
This book aims to introduce readers to the emerging and developing field of populism and foreign ... more This book aims to introduce readers to the emerging and developing field of populism and foreign policy, highlighting some of the more important scientific advances in the past decade and setting the stage for future contributions to this growing research program. Across its different chapters, this edited volume examines what is distinctive about populist foreign policy (PFP) in parallel to its diversity in cultural, socioeconomic , and political terms. Moreover, by exploring how populist governments addressed their foreign policies in Latin America, Southeast Asia, Oceania, and Africa, the book analyzes the domestic and international conditions which enable or constrain PFP in each region.
This essay explores the evolution of the diplomatic relations between Israel and Latin America, w... more This essay explores the evolution of the diplomatic relations between Israel and Latin America, with a particular focus on the ways the dynamics of their relations has been affected by a reciprocal (though asymmetrical) search for legitimation and recognition; economic cooperation and development; and power and influence. Special attention is devoted to identifying the underlying patterns that characterized the gradual development of diplomatic links as well as the elements that have influenced the shifts experienced over seven decades of international interactions. The essay refers in general to the relations between Israel and the region, as well as to specific examples from key Latin American countries, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Mexico, and Venezuela.
In: Giurlando, P., Wajner, D.F. (eds) Populist Foreign Policy: Regional Perspectives of Populism in the International Scene, 2023
This chapter explores the foreign policies of populist governments in several countries of Southe... more This chapter explores the foreign policies of populist governments in several countries of Southern Europe, notably France, Greece, Italy, and Spain. These Mediterranean countries show similar characteristics in terms of not only geography, culture, and political system but also a dense presence of populist leaderships with governmental power (or close to having it, in the French case), both from the right and from the left. A comparative analysis of Populist Foreign Policy (PFP) in this sub-region allows us to unravel some of the distinctive ways in which populists shape foreign policy, especially in relation to the EU, and how this is influenced by structural positions in the regional distribution of power and the relative strength of domestic parties and institutions.
Populist Foreign Policy: Regional Perspectives of Populism in the International Scene (eds. Philip Giurlando and Daniel Wajner), 2023
Populist Foreign Policy, 2023
This edited volume aimed to provide answers to two key questions: what is distinctive about Popul... more This edited volume aimed to provide answers to two key questions: what is distinctive about Populist Foreign Policy (PFP), and what are the domestic and international factors that enable and constrain PFP. In the conclusions that follow, therefore, we make both intra- and cross-regional comparisons, trying to identify similarities and differences in PFP patterns and in the international and national features that constrain or enact these patterns. In addition, we delve into several topics that remain to be discussed more intensively, as well as normative and policy oriented issues to be considered, in the hope this will serve as an agenda for further research.
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Books by Daniel F . Wajner
Papers by Daniel F . Wajner
stances of their member states do not change over time, or in an institutional vacuum, where ROs are not challenged by other ROs. This study aims to shed light on the impact of multiple ROs dynamically and simultaneously intervening in legitimation struggles. It focuses on the 2014–2020 regional “battle” over the legitimate authority of the Chavista–Madurista regime in Venezuela, examining how multiple Latin American ROs articulated their discourse seeking to influence the crisis’ outcomes. To this end, a multi-step process tracing based on four phases (opening, deliberation, judgment, and denouement) is applied. The findings reveal the lively competition between involved actors for the recognition of ROs as the relevant legitimating agents, and the limits faced in achieving collective action when polarization over such a regional legitimating role prevails. The study has novel implications for scholarly understanding of the role of legitimation dynamics in promoting international cooperation during periods of disruption.
stances of their member states do not change over time, or in an institutional vacuum, where ROs are not challenged by other ROs. This study aims to shed light on the impact of multiple ROs dynamically and simultaneously intervening in legitimation struggles. It focuses on the 2014–2020 regional “battle” over the legitimate authority of the Chavista–Madurista regime in Venezuela, examining how multiple Latin American ROs articulated their discourse seeking to influence the crisis’ outcomes. To this end, a multi-step process tracing based on four phases (opening, deliberation, judgment, and denouement) is applied. The findings reveal the lively competition between involved actors for the recognition of ROs as the relevant legitimating agents, and the limits faced in achieving collective action when polarization over such a regional legitimating role prevails. The study has novel implications for scholarly understanding of the role of legitimation dynamics in promoting international cooperation during periods of disruption.
The study proposes a new theoretical framework to explain the causal and constitutive mechanisms operating between the perceived international legitimacy of the conflictual actors and their policy strategies during a negotiated peace settlement (NPS) and identify these mechanisms in cases of intractable conflicts based on ethnonational sources. With this aim in mind, the general question that guides this research is: How does the international legitimacy of the actors affect their policy strategies towards the peaceful resolution of the conflicts in which they are involved?
As part of the theoretical framework, the research offers multiple responses to this question, according to the phases of the negotiating process. First, the research explores how different combinations of the actors’ perceived domestic and international legitimacy can produce four policy strategies concerning their entrance to peace negotiations: status quo, advocacy, internationalization, and revisionism.
Likewise, two hypotheses are suggested to explain how (de-)legitimation dynamics can influence the actors’ policy strategies throughout negotiation processes. Both are based on the existence of a legitimacy gap (LG), which is a function of the perceived legitimacy of each of the parties and the relation between them. The research postulates, firstly, that the broader the LG between the conflictual actors, the less their policy strategies reflect a willingness to reach an NPS. In addition, a second hypothesis proposes that the narrower the LG between the conflictual actors, the more their policy strategies reflect a willingness to reach an NPS.
Finally, once the peace negotiations end, the research examines the actors’ return to the different alternatives of policy strategies according to their respective calculations of domestic and international legitimacy.
This theoretical framework is implemented in a multi-round case study of an intractable conflict between a sovereign state (Israel) and an ethnonational group seeking self-determination (the PLO). This framework is tested in the analysis of legitimation dynamics before, during, and after the critical junctures of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiated peace processes between 1990 and 2010: the Madrid-Oslo process (1991-1995), the Camp David-Taba process (2000-2001), and the Annapolis process (2007-2008).
In terms of methodology, this research implements a multi-step process tracing. Through the process tracing, we tell the story of the negotiated peace processes through the unfolding development of events, providing evidence for the external and domestic constraints and the consequent reactions of the policymakers. In parallel, concerning the analysis of the legitimation clashes and their subsequent dynamics, the research presents an interpretative analytical model based on three legitimation functions that encompass normative, strategic, and emotional dimensions (appropriateness, consensus and empathy), in an attempt to capture the inter-subjective nature of the actors' perceived legitimacies over time. Data collection for these methods relies on primary sources that describe the processes’ dynamics, prioritizing biographies and secondary sources. In addition, 18 semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants in the negotiation processes between 2018 and 2019.
Incorporating legitimation dynamics in Conflict Resolution, Negotiation Analysis and Peace Studies not only fills in the existing theoretical lacuna but also helps overcome what remains a challenge for the ripeness theory: the moment in peace negotiations when a final deal can be closed. Understanding these dynamics may also yield insights regarding both the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and policy uncertainties such as the manner in which third parties can intervene to promote positive outcomes.
In order to contribute to this discussion, this theoretically-inclined research attempts to find an alternative to the ontological, epistemological and methodological confusion that reigns over the dynamics of legitimacy in IR. For this purpose, we address three “Arab Spring” case studies (Egypt, Bahrain and Libya) in order to analyze how the rhetorical strategies of the Arab League influenced the legitimacy of the actors involved and thus the outcomes of these conflicts. We do this by employing a framework which combines process tracing and methods for discourse analysis, including an innovative “International Legitimacy Index” (ILI) as a measuring tool. Throughout the empirical study we demonstrate how the access to the framing brokers of the ACE legitimation factors (Appropriateness, Consensus and Empathy) reveals itself to be the key to success in legitimation battles. The expected findings could lead to novel implications about the role of regional organizations as legitimation sources as well as well as explain factors that govern conflict resolution in current Middle Eastern and global politics.
In order to contribute to this discussion, this theoretically-inclined research attempts to find an alternative to the ontological, epistemological and methodological confusion that reigns over the dynamics of legitimacy in IR. For this purpose, we address three “Arab Spring” case studies (Egypt, Bahrain and Libya) in order to analyze how the rhetorical strategies of the Arab League influenced the legitimacy of the actors involved and thus the outcomes of these conflicts. We do this by employing a framework which combines process tracing and methods for discourse analysis, including an innovative “International Legitimacy Index” (ILI) as a measuring tool. Throughout the empirical study we demonstrate how the access to the framing brokers of the ACE legitimation factors (Appropriateness, Consensus and Empathy) reveals itself to be the key to success in legitimation battles. The expected findings could lead to novel implications about the role of regional organizations as legitimation sources as well as well as explain factors that govern conflict resolution in current Middle Eastern and global politics.
Hacia fines de 2008, la situación relativa a las negociaciones comerciales entre el MERCOSUR y la Unión Europea era muy similar a la que se había dejado cuatro años atrás: no se experimentaron mayores avances ni retrocesos. Una nueva caída de la Ronda de Doha en julio de 2008, sumado a diversos cambios que se están sucediendo en el contexto regional e internacional, parecen volver a captar la atención sobre las posibilidades de retomar las negociaciones en el plano birregional.
Hacia fines de 2008, la situación relativa a las negociaciones comerciales entre el MERCOSUR y la Unión Europea era muy similar a la que se había dejado cuatro años atrás: no se experimentaron mayores avances ni retrocesos. Una nueva caída de la Ronda de Doha en julio de 2008, sumado a diversos cambios que se están sucediendo en el contexto regional e internacional, parecen volver a captar la atención sobre las posibilidades de retomar las negociaciones en el plano birregional.
Hence, by adopting an ideational approach to the dynamics of populist legitimation, this chapter explores why and how contemporary populist governments try to legitimize themselves abroad. Indeed, the last two decades have seen a developing consensus among scholars that the core of the populist concept is the ideational (re)construction of a permanent struggle between ‘the people’ and ‘elites’ (Hawkins et al 2018; Mudde 2004:543-5; Wiesehomeier et al, this volume). It has been widely studied how populists articulate these ‘empty signifiers’ (Laclau 2005; Panizza 2005) and how domestic audiences are more or less prone to be attracted and activated by this type of discourse (Hawkins, Riding, and Mudde 2012; Hawkins, Rovira-Kaltwasser, and Andreadis 2018). In this sense, incorporating theoretical frameworks for studying (de)legitimation strategies could be of special help in understanding populists who design a particular strategy to reach specific audiences.
This initiative is even more relevant since the dynamic process of ideational reconstruction between leaders and followers is increasingly projected on the international scene. Contemporary populist governments show a growing willingness to transfer the discursive antagonism between ‘the people’ and ‘elites’ on the regional and global spheres (Wajner 2019b). The recent ‘discovery’ of the rise of illiberal democracies internationally has shown how scholars of populism largely overlooked its external dimensions, as well as the lack of interest that for decades characterized IR scholars towards populism as a category of political analysis. Certainly, the academic debate of recent years on the ‘global’ features of populism has made a valuable contribution in developing initial theoretical links (e.g. Destradi and Plagemann 2019; Drezner 2017; Hadiz and Chryssogelos 2017; Stengel, MacDonald and Nabers 2019; Verbeek and Zazlove 2017; Voeten 2019). Yet a closer study of how populist discourse is activated through the international arena is necessary for a better understanding of populism.
The chapter is organized as follows. The first section introduces the rationale for a theoretical exchange between populism and legitimacy. The second section explains populists’ growing quest for legitimation on the international scene, suggesting three explanations for this trend. The third section identifies multiple international (de-)legitimation strategies by populists based on three legitimation functions these perform. The chapter concludes by discussing the findings, assessing their potential contribution and suggesting new avenues for research on populist legitimization.
This is an Accepted Manuscript of an article published by Taylor & Francis in Diplomacy and Statecraft on March 2017, available online: http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09592296.2017.1275521
Full quote: Wajner, Daniel F. "Grassroots Diplomacy in Battles for Legitimacy: The Transnational Advocacy Network for the Brazilian Recognition of the Palestinian State." Diplomacy & Statecraft 28.1 (2017): 128-151.