Beyond populism

Question 1

What is democratic backsliding?

Answer 1

‘The state-led debilitation or elimination of any of the political institutions that sustain an existing democracy’ (Bermes 2016)

Question 2

Counter…

Answer 2

hegemonic project which aims to challenge and replace liberal democracy and order - example of Hungary - electoral laws changed, judiciary reshaped, political economy changed to build support…

Question 3

Tools of populists (3)

Answer 3

1. eliminating checks and balances
2. capturing economy - polarisation of society
3. founding a parallel civil society that spreads government ideology

Question 4

What is ethnopopulism?

Answer 4

intwines the defence of ‘the people’ with ethnicity, culture, nature, religion and or race

Question 5

Why the most consolidated democracies? (Hungary, Poland…)

Answer 5

1. populist polarisation
2. long wave of transition
3. disenchantment w/ neoliberal capitalism
4. waning power of the EU

Question 6

Vashudova 2019

Answer 6

Ethnopopulism strong in backsliding countries - strategy for winning votes and concentrating power

Question 7

Bohle 2023

Answer 7

Gramscian understanding of poland and hungary and the attempts of reshaping culture as a part of the populist capture of power