Introduction to special issue: Rethinking populism and democracy in politically turbulent times (original) (raw)

Re-thinking Populism within the Borders of Democracy

Italian Sociological Review, 2018

Although populism has many references and various definitions as an elusive and ambiguous concept, this article approaches it as a political strategy which has the potential to destabilize democracy in some ways. This approach enables a broader comprehension of populism rather than confining it to certain ideological tenets or a few undisputed populist movements. This study attempts to reveal the logic of this political strategy through a tripartite analysis which consists of the sense of democracy inherent in populism, its way of thinking and reasoning, and the political circumstances which enable and strengthen populism. It is argued that the analysis performed here can offer an outline of the ground on which the struggle against the features of populism, that threatens democracy, can be carried out. Finally, in the light of the aforementioned analysis and some ideas which are borrowed from the works of Habermas and Mouffe to a large extent, it is aimed to re-read democracy in order to deal with the populist challenge in liberal democracies.

Populism and Democracy: A Reassessment

Contemporary Politics, 2023

Populism comes in so many forms, both historically and in its contemporary manifestations, that we cannot assess its relationship with democratic institutions and practices as if it were homogenous. In this article, we reconnect with the history of the first movements that have called themselves populists and draw on an understanding of populism as an egalitarian impulse against oligarchic tendencies, centered on anti-elitism and the defense of a democratic common sense. This genetic approach to populism goes against the dominant definitions which tend to overstretch its range of application while assuming a form of antipluralism as part of its common features. Then, we draw attention to the diversity of conceptions of democracy within populist thought and practices and show that, owing to their ideological plasticity, the types of democratic institutions favored by populist movements, as well as their attitudes towards representation and intermediary bodies, are highly contextual. The article ends with a focus on the relationship between populism and democracy in the current context of disintermediation, in which we argue that populism's inherent ambiguities shed some doubt on its capacity to respond to the current challenges faced by representative institutions.

The Three Faces of Populism in Power: Polity, Policies and Politics

Populism in Europe, Cambrige University Press, 2022

In this article, we explore the consequences of the increasing presence of both left-and right-wing populist parties in government, critically reflecting on the recent scholarship on the topic, underlining promising venues for future research and outlining a conceptual framework which constitutes the background of this special issue entitled 'Populism in Power and its Consequences'. Our main contribution is empirical, sinceby reflecting on the various articles hosted in the special issuewe assess the impact of populist parties in government on politics, polities and various policy domains. We also provide an account of potential moderating factors of the influence of populists in government, focus on different ideological underpinnings of types of populisms (left-wing and rightwing) and discuss their relevance. We conclude by identifying four possible scenarios for European populist parties in governments: radicalization, compromise and moderation, splintering, or loss.

Twenty-First Century Populism: The Spectre of Western European Democracy

Over the last decade, the main area of sustained populist growth has been Western Europe, with populist movements reaching new heights in countries such as France, Italy, Austria and Holland. Twenty-First Century Populism analyses this phenomenon by looking at the conditions facilitating the emergence and success of populism in specific national contexts and then examining why populism has flourished or floundered in those countries. The book also discusses the degree to which populism has affected mainstream politics in Western Europe and examines the inter-relationship between populism, political parties, the media and democracy. Containing chapters by a series of country experts and renowned political scientists from across the continent, this volume is the first to offer an in-depth account of the reasons behind the populist wave in twenty-first century Europe.

Let the people rule! Definitions and theories of populism (April 2017)

Liberal democracies are in a fragile state. Simplistic populist messages of us vs. them with often-xenophobic undertones and attempts to undermine the legitimacy of democratic institutions can count on a receptive audience and a transformed (social) media landscape in Europe. In some countries such as France and Austria populist parties have moved beyond the fringe and have run as serious contenders in nationwide elections, in Hungary and Poland they actually govern. A considerable part of the European population could imagine living in authoritarian systems. They find some aspects of such governance appealing, such as tight surveillance, compromised individual liberties, and uniform structures of society, and look admiringly for current and historical role models. For some this echoes the 1930s, when fascism in Europe was on the rise and received considerable support from sympathisers even within developed democracies, such as the British Union of Fascist of Oswald Mosley or Charles Lindberg, who played an influential role in the isolationist America First Committee in the USA. Nonetheless, to compare today’s populists with yesterday’s fascists is a stretch, though. One might argue that it is even slanderous, given their still limited role, more benign attitudes and some legitimate concerns they articulate. Still, the challenges for liberal democracies are real and are at the heart of the analysis in this collaborative volume by researchers from CIDOB and other think tanks and institutions.

THE DECAYING BEAUTY OF DEMOCRACY AND THE BEAST OF POPULISM

Democracy is bewitched by the hoodoo of populism and the wizardry of the populist leaders in the contemporary world. The fantastic progress of democracy in the final quarter of the last century has become stagnant and such halt is described as Democratic recession by the intellectuals. Modern day Democracy is a convoluted concept which involves combination between constitutional liberalism and electoralism. But it is often experienced around the globe that democratically elected governments are deviating from liberal norms and seizing the rights and freedom of the citizens. From Donald trump To Naredra Modi, from Syriza in Greece to Podemos in Spain, from Evo Morales to Rodrigo Duterte, the global politics has seen the rise of populist temptation. Till date, liberal democracy is the most beautiful and efficient form of government and its progress is affected by the hoodoo of populism. Many countries including the heralds of democracy are mixing substantial degree of democracy with substantial degree of illiberalism in their governance. This phenomenon is prudently labeled as 'The Rise of Illiberal Democracy' by Fareed Zakaria (1997). Democracy has the beauty of allowing the flourishment of individualism, protecting the rights of the minorities and preservation of fundamental rights and freedom. But the beauty is in decay due to the witchcraft of populism and it must be exorcised through the establishment of liberal rights before injection of democratic norms. This paper focuses on the democratic recession caused by populism which is inherent in democracy, in the light of counting populism as a challenge or a threat to democracy. In the preliminary section, I have attempted to define Liberal democracy and populism with their notable features respectively. In second section, I have demonstrated the inherence of populism to democracy as well as its challenges and threats. To uphold the claim of the title, I have used some of the case studies of populism in the global politics. The crisis in democracy has given birth to the beast of populism, its maturation and success in global politics. Section One