The Populist Curtain: Austria and Italy

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Political scientist Yascha Mounk travels through countries which were on the West of the former Iron Curtain. Graz in Austria is the birthplace of Archduke Franz Ferdinand. Here, populists have been brought into the fold – with the coalition between the centre-right Austrian People's Party and the far-right Freedom Party of Austria running the country. But Graz subverts expectations as the Communist Party is locally strong here too. His journey ends in the Italian city of Trieste, which was a contested city after both World War One and World War Two. Here Italy’s peculiar coalition between the Five Star and Lega parties is accused of attacking minorities and immigrants. Will Italy’s numerous smaller opposition parties manage to unite against the coalition? (Photo: Austrian Chancellor Sebastian Kurz (L) of the conservative People's Party (OeVP) and vice-chancellor Heinz-Christian Strache of the far-right Freedom Party (FPOe). Credit: Getty Images)