The populist phenomenon has been particularly triggered by the discontent of the so-called “leftbehind” of the globalisation process, i.e. those who have failed to fully benefit from past economic growth. In Europe, the populist phenomenon is mainly fed by immigration fears and the shock caused by the massive refugee influxes from war-torn countries bordering the European Union.
Especially with regard to the migration crisis, it is one of the most contentious aspects of globalisation. The share of international migrants among residents of more developed countries rose from less than 10% in 2000 to 14% in 2017. In Germany, international migrants now account for 15% of the population according to UN data (see Table 4 below).