The Impact of Populism on Development Aid Policies in the European Union, with Focus on Hungary and Poland

Despite extensive research on populism and foreign policy, limited attention has been paid to how right-wing populist governments reshape development cooperation within the institutional constraints of the European Union. Existing studies have focused mainly on aid volumes and allocation patterns, while less attention has been given to how development policy is framed, justified, and politically interpreted under populist rule. This thesis examines how right-wing populist governments in Hungary and Poland reinterpret development cooperation between 2015-2023. Using a qualitative comparative case study design, the thesis applies an interpretive policy analysis (IPA) approach. Narrative analysis serves as the main analytical tool, supported by discourse analysis, to examine policy documents, official statements, and development strategies. The findings show that in both countries development cooperation is increasingly framed as a policy instrument serving national priorities related to sovereignty, identity, and security, while remaining formally aligned with EU and OECD development frameworks. Hungary emphasizes civilizational and religious narratives, whereas Poland prioritizes regional security and historically grounded solidarity with Eastern Partnership countries. The analysis demonstrates that EU membership constrains open breaks with development norms, yet still allows substantial reinterpretation in practice. By comparing two populist governments operating within the same supranational framework, the thesis contributes to a deeper understanding of how populism in power reshapes development cooperation in the European Union.