Partisan Affect and Political Tolerance in the Context of Shifting Norms: The Effect of Coalition Signals towards the Radical Right

Mainstream political actors in many countries face the challenging decision of how to engage with radical-right parties. While some systematically exclude them from power, others accept them as coalition partners. This paper examines the consequences of mainstream right actors signaling their willingness to govern with the radical right. We use survey experiments conducted in Germany, Flanders, Spain, and Austria (N = 5,643) to examine the effects of such signaling on three outcomes: party affect, social distance, and political tolerance. Our results indicate that signaling cooperation is a double-edged sword. It diminishes mutual dislike between radical-right and center-right supporters, and increases the latter’s tolerance towards the radical right. However, it also intensifies antipathy from center-left supporters towards the center right. These effects are similar across the four cases, despite strongly differing contexts and norms. Our findings contribute to debates surrounding the normative desirability and empirical impact of engaging with radical-right actors.