Cultural Unity, Economic Divergence: Right-wing Populist Voters in Croatia and Serbia

This article examines the attitudes of right-wing populist party (RPP) voters in Croatia and Serbia using 2021 survey data. The findings indicate that a shared cultural conservatism serves as a predictor of support for RPPs. However, economic perspectives diverge between the two countries: Croatian RPP voters are indifferent to free-market policies, while Serbian RPP voters favour state interventionist policies. Additionally, while Croatian RPP voters exhibit distrust in government, Serbian RPP voters show higher levels of trust, which we attribute to the participation of RPPs in government.