Public anger has been blamed for the rise of ‘disruptive’ politicians around the globe, but new research suggests the opposite may be true, writes Raj Persaud

Looking back at 2016, it is hard not to think that there were tectonic shifts in the western economic and political system, even allowing for the tendency of us all to overweight recent events.

Italy's populist opposition 5-Star Movement says it is ready to run the country after voters triggered the demise of prime minister Matteo Renzi with a stinging defeat on his reforms referendum.

The ECB has warned that risks of financial market turmoil have increased amid slower growth in emerging economies, weak bank profitability, and the rise of populist movements across the 19-nation euro region.

During the past year, right-wing populist politicians have been on the march, in France, the US and even in Germany, where chancellor Angela Merkel’s generous response to the migration crisis has left her exposed, politically, as never before.