Montag, 17. Juli 2017

Fünf Thesen und Lehren zum Populismus von Cas Mudde

In einem hervorragenden Artikel für den Guardian fasst Cas Mudde seine Erkenntnisse zum Populismus in fünf Thesen und Lehren zusammen:
  • Thesis 1: Populism is neither right nor left, but populists can be either left or right (or even centrist)
  • Thesis 2: Populism is anti-system, but not anti-democracy
  • Thesis 3: Populism is an illiberal democratic response to undemocratic liberalism
  • Thesis 4: Populists often ask the right questions but give the wrong answers
  • Thesis 5: The power of populism is largely determined by the actions of liberal democrats
Die zugehörigen fünf Lehren:
  • Lesson 1: Populism cannot be defeated by adopting a (soft) xenophobic discourse or by tightening immigration. It is about the struggle within “the own people” (however defined).
  • Lesson 2: Populism can only be defeated by a clear and comprehensive defence of liberal democracy, which explains that our political system goes beyond mere popular sovereignty and majority rule, and explains that the liberal aspects of the system benefit all citizens – as everyone can be a minority one day.
  • Lesson 3: Liberal democrats must move beyond Tina arguments, and purely anti-populist campaigns, and return to ideological politics. Even depoliticised issues have to be politically explained, ie by arguing why it is better that they were depoliticised.
  • Lesson 4: Neither ignoring populists nor adopting their issues and frames will defeat populism – let alone strengthen liberal democracy. Liberal democrats have to set their own agendas and address all issues, also those raised by populists, on the basis of their own ideology.
  • Lesson 5: Liberal democrats should start to treat populists as any other political actors, that is, as the political voice of a (sometimes substantial) minority of the population. Their influence should be not be disproportional to their popular support, particularly not when they are in opposition.

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