"It means that even if the populists lose at the ballot box they still win." This shows the failure of Western-style democracy with its multi-party competition component.
-- The New Legalist editor
EUObserver / Brussels
POPULISM’S EFFECT ON MAINSTREAM PARTIES [Original title]
"[T]he biggest risk to Europe today is arguably not the prospect of radical right populists in power ... but their outsize influence on mainstream policymakers," writes Benjamin Ward."Instead of courageously confronting the flawed arguments of insurgent populist parties and defending policies based on rights, mainstream parties have aped their agenda for fear of losing votes.... This attitude and position from mainstream political leaders represents as much of a challenge and threat to human rights values as do the populists themselves. It legitimises and normalises the hateful agenda of the xenophobic, anti-Islam, anti-refugee populists.... It means that even if the populists lose at the ballot box they still win." |
