Family-oriented discourse and policymaking in right-wing populist governments: a comparative study of Türkiye and Poland

Abstract

This study explores the role of family-oriented discourse and policymaking in right-wing populist governance, focusing on the comparative cases of Turkiye and Poland. It argues that differences in family policy frameworks emerge from distinct political structures and religious influences shaped by historical trajectories. In Poland, despite the influence of European Union regulations, the Law and Justice Party (PiS) has consistently opposed gender-related policies, largely due to the longstanding political and societal authority of the Catholic Church. In Turkiye, by contrast, the Justice and Development Party (AKP) actively drives anti-gender discourse, using state institutions and conservative organizations to influence policymaking. While the institutional sources of political influence differ, this study demonstrates that both governments instrumentalize politicized anti-gender narratives to justify policy decisions, reinforcing traditional family structures as a means of consolidating populist governance.