We Are All Populists. Government Should Not Be.
Photo Courtesy: Sandro Halank
Populist parties are on the rise. In the busiest election year in global history, these parties have sighted an opportunity to reach a wider voter base, infiltrate dinner table conversations and dominate news headlines. They have uncovered a path to victory. Amid irritation with the cost of living, housing shortages and issues with immigration; populist parties have become staples within these debates. Their effective rhetoric resonates with citizens. Highlighting frustrations with simple yet inflated attacks on traditional parties and current governments, populist parties have cemented their presence in our daily lives. Their interventions in parliament are too visible to ignore, their speeches are too relevant to the nation’s issues to not discuss and their statements are too bold to not report.
To many, those in power seem out of reach and detached from the realities of ordinary citizens. To many, democratic institutions have left them behind, failing to carry out the simple task of representing the citizenry in their actions. To many, ‘the other’ takes precedence in all legislative decisions, whether the voices who take over are business interests, other age groups or politicians’ personal commercialism. In this context, there are few politicians as appealing as populist party leaders. They speak of the issues that hit home, they speak out against the failures of governments that individuals feel on a daily basis, and their discursive style is comparable to conversations within households. In a world of alienated voters, having someone on TV voice your feelings and your inner thoughts feels good. It feels worth a vote.
One question is worth being asked: are populist parties worth a seat in cabinet? The answer is a resounding no. The risks to the long-term stability of states, whether political, economic or social, are too large to allow them direct access to power. Populist parties are excellent at calling out failings within government decisions and actions, yet their proposals are irresponsible, perilous and unachievable. These parties have been built to dominate media coverage with capturing and trending interventions, not to involve themselves in the intricate and demanding realities of governing. One does not govern with a list of frustrations alone.
The expectation that populist parties would fail in government has been backed by their proposals and actions multiple times. In France’s 2022 presidential election, Marine Le Pen proposed dismantling all wind turbines at a time when French households were encouraged to reduce their electricity consumption as a result of the war in Ukraine and issues with the nuclear network.
In Portugal, ‘Chega’ announced a list of measures and promises estimated to cost the equivalent of 5% of the national GDP. How would ‘Chega’ pay for it? Eliminating corruption through measures still unknown to anyone, even to the most avid followers of the party. Populist discourse by politicians such as Nigel Farage led the UK out of the EU. Today, it is estimated that the UK’s real income would have been 8 to 9 percent higher than current levels if the UK had remained. Despite this, the AfD in Germany has now floated the idea of leaving the European Union.
It may seem ironic that those who best call out issues where they see them can become those with the most potential for long-term destruction. Making unrealisable promises to the general public, acting recklessly on economic policy and indebting an entire nation creating larger problems down the line, and convincing voters that devastative reforms and policy are to their benefit, then criticizing the impacts when they come.
As counterintuitive as all this may seem, this could be expected. ‘Resonate with voters at all costs’ is the primary and only goal driving these populist parties. They have no incentive to act responsibly. The only incentive is to promise. The realistic economic capabilities of the government are irrelevant in their approach to politics. Responsible politics does not win votes anymore. If we want stability in the coming years, it should.