Present at the invasion: Issue ownership, party competition and the politicisation of the Ukraine war

Why has assistance to Ukraine become politically contentious in some countries more than others? Much attention has been paid to the role of populist opposition parties in seeking to politicise the issue, especially as citizens have become less willing to bear the costs involved. But not all populist actors have challenged Ukraine policy in this way. This article argues that the decision to politicise depends on the extent of previous co-optation to the liberal mainstream position prior to the onset of war fatigue. Looking empirically at the cases of Poland and the United Kingdom, it shows how populist presence in government at the time of Russia’s invasion incentivised these parties to articulate a pro-assistance line which reduced their subsequent ability to politicise the issue at a later date. The findings help us understand how distinct sources of politicisation interact and highlight the importance of sequencing and
other temporal considerations.