New Policy Paper Explores Strategies for Countering Populist Mobilization in Europe
Following a successful one-day forum, “Rolling Back the Rollback: Spaces & strategies for reviving democracy and open societies in Europe,” the School of Public Policy at CEU has published a policy paper that takes a deeper look into the mechanisms of populist mobilization - one of the main symptoms of democratic backsliding.
Authored by Stephan Mergenthaler, visiting professor at the University of Geneva and non-resident fellow with the Global Public Policy Institute in Berlin, the paper argues that the success of populist mobilization in Europe is due to three factors: (1) the decline of broad-based party mobilization and the increasing focus on problem-solving policies; (2) the rise of new forms of mobilization and new anxieties that have deprived traditional parties from being the primary vehicles of social contestation; and (3) the adoption of “light-populism” by mainstream parties, contributing to the legitimation and appeal of populist political agendas.
The paper concludes that rebuilding the link between the policy process and citizen participation is required to counter populist mobilization. It identifies five ingredients that are necessary for a successful strategy for reviving democratic mobilization in the face of an increasingly powerful populist political agenda in Europe: (1) clearly articulating the problems in their entirety, not just on isolated parts of the problem, or their symptoms; (2) attacking populist arguments on the substance of their claims and not offering space to distortions of political problems; (3) providing a compelling vision for a better society that is based on a clear understanding of the key issues that matter most to people; (4) using a wide range of voices as amplifiers and putting mobilization at the center of the policy process; and (5) having consistent and declared objectives, following through with realistic, achievable targets, and creating a sense of achievement.
Importantly, a better strategy for countering populist mobilization needs to be embedded in a vision for Europe that connects with a strong narrative about European integration and the key values in this process.
This paper is part of the event series “Rollback of Democracy? Current Trajectories of Democratic Development in Europe – From Diagnosis to Remedies,” organized by SPP in cooperation with the Hertie School of Governance. It was made possible with the financial support of the Robert Bosch Foundation and the Open Society Initiative for Europe.
