The special issue of the peer-reviewed journal Frontiers in Sociology focuses on the link between austerity politics, social inequality and the rise of populism. It is part of the outreach activities for the project “Canada-Europe Dialogues on Democracy: Democratic deficit and the rise of populism in Europe” (CEDoD). CEDoD was co-funded by Erasmus+ Programme of the European Union, housed at the Centre for Global Studies, and carried out under the framework of the EU-Canada Network at the University of Victoria.