{"id":13117,"date":"2018-05-31T10:23:00","date_gmt":"2018-05-31T08:23:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.progressives-zentrum.org\/en\/?p=13117"},"modified":"2022-07-26T11:15:48","modified_gmt":"2022-07-26T09:15:48","slug":"the-question-is-not-how-to-stop-the-populists-but-how-to-strengthen-liberal-democracy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.progressives-zentrum.org\/en\/the-question-is-not-how-to-stop-the-populists-but-how-to-strengthen-liberal-democracy\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cThe question is not how to stop the populists, but how to strengthen liberal democracy\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

To discuss populist politics, its effects on social cohesion and the future of liberal democracy, Peter Hall and Cas Mudde were be joined by two experts on democracy: Marieluise Beck and Hedwig Richter. The event was chaired by foreign policy expert Constanze Stelzenm\u00fcller.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watch full roundtable discussion in this video<\/a>.<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n

To discuss the challenges that liberal democracies face as well as concrete political responses, Das Progressive Zentrum<\/em> in cooperation with Zentrum Liberale Moderne<\/em><\/a> initiated the \u201cChallenging Democracy\u201d series. For our second roundtable, we partnered up with Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House<\/em><\/a> and invited two internationally renowned scholars, Peter Hall and Cas Mudde, as well as two German experts on democracy, Marieluise Beck and Hedwig Richter, to discuss populist politics, its effects on social cohesion and the future of liberal democracy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

After a short introduction by Dominic Schwickert<\/strong>, executive director of Das Progressive Zentrum, and Annette Rupp<\/strong>, executive director of Villa Aurora & Thomas Mann House, the event kicked off with a statement by Peter Hall<\/strong>, Professor of European Studies at Harvard University. Hall emphasised the importance of the topic by saying that \u201cpopulism is today\u2019s most important political development in liberal democracies\u201d. He sees the causes, why certain voters opt for populist parties and are receptive to populist sentiments, primarily in a lack of social integration. They both reinforced one another \u2013 as people whose lives have become precarious can be more prone to feel culturally abandoned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In Hall\u2019s opinion, the effects of populism are threefold. Firstly, they constitute a break in the \u201dZeitgeist\u201d \u2014in other words, the normative order of our times\u2014 by devaluing the role of truth in politics and re-authorising racism. Secondly, Hall points to several Eastern European countries and argues that populists can turn liberal democracies into illiberal democracies, including the strict rule of majorities over the protection of minorities. And thirdly, populism in the West made decisive government building more difficult, as populist parties secure on average 15-20 % of the votes and therefore must be either incorporated in the government coalition (as it is the case in Austria) or kept from governing by the formation of grand coalitions between center-left and center-right parties. Hall stresses that this development comes amidst a time of a technological revolution, which requires new solutions and governments that are decisive enough to implement them. He concluded:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThe sources of populism are significant enough that this is not a passing phenomenon and the effects are serious enough that we all have reason to worry <\/em>\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

\n
\"Twitter\"

By loading the tweet, you agree to Twitter’s privacy policy.
Learn more<\/a><\/p>

Load tweet<\/a><\/p>