Populist Attitudes, Ideology, and Climate Change Beliefs: A Comparative Analysis of Six European Countries

Existing literature highlights ideology as a key factor in shaping public opinion on climate change. Overall, left-wing individuals are more likely to believe in climate change and express concern about it than their right-wing counterparts. Moreover, in recent years, research has increasingly focused on the role of (right-wing) populism and nationalism, showing that individuals with populist and nationalist attitudes are less likely to believe in human-induced climate change and more likely to oppose environmental protection and fossil fuel taxes. However, the interaction between populist attitudes and ideological orientation remains partially underexplored. Does the relationship between populist attitudes and belief in the anthropogenic nature of climate change vary depending on individuals’ ideology? This study provides novel and up-to date evidence to the research question, drawing on an original and recent large-N comparative survey (n~15,000) conducted after the 2024 European elections and covering six European countries (Italy, France, Poland, Germany, Sweden, and Spain). Our results confirm that right-wing identification is substantially associated with lower levels of belief in the anthropogenic climate change. Moreover, populist attitudes are associated with lower levels of belief in anthropogenic climate change across the ideological spectrum, and their impact is especially strong among left-wing individuals. These patterns vary cross-nationally, with Germany and Sweden displaying stronger associations, likely due to the greater politicization of climate issues in such contexts.