My guide to populist-proofing your democracy – before it’s too late | Timothy Garton Ash
In the face of rising populism and anti-liberal sentiments, the resilience of democratic institutions is more crucial than ever. Timothy Garton Ash emphasizes the need to reinforce democracy rather than merely focusing on keeping nationalist populists out of power. He introduces the German concept of *wehrhafte Demokratie*, or “militant democracy,” which refers to a democracy that can defend itself against threats. This idea has sparked discussions in Germany about potentially banning the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party. However, Ash argues that such actions could backfire, solidifying the AfD’s narrative as victims of a supposed liberal elite conspiracy and inadvertently boosting their support.
Drawing on international examples, Ash critiques the French approach of forming a “republican arc” to exclude Marine Le Pen’s National Rally. This strategy has led to a fragmented political landscape where necessary reforms are stymied, allowing the National Rally to critique from the sidelines without accountability. In contrast, he points to the Netherlands, where Geert Wilders’ populist party was included in a coalition government. The coalition’s failure to deliver on promises ultimately resulted in Wilders’ party losing power in the subsequent election to a more liberal party led by the young and dynamic Rob Jetten. This example illustrates that engaging populist parties within the democratic framework can lead to their decline when they fail to meet the expectations of their constituents.
Ultimately, Ash emphasizes that the fight to preserve democracy involves not just exclusion but also engagement and reform. By fostering a robust democratic environment that can withstand populist challenges, societies can dismantle the narratives that empower extremist parties. This proactive approach is essential for ensuring that democracy remains a stronghold against those who seek to undermine it, promoting a political culture based on dialogue, accountability, and genuine representation.
From public service broadcasting to an independent judiciary, these are the things that we must fight to keep
How can we defend our democracies against those who would destroy them? We talk a lot about strategies for keeping anti-liberal, nationalist populists out of power, but Donald Trump’s daily wielding of a wrecking ball shows that it’s equally important to reinforce your democracy so it can withstand a period of populists in power.
Germany has a concept called
wehrhafte
Demokratie
,
often weirdly translated as “militant democracy” but actually meaning a democracy capable of defending itself. Under this motto, some in Germany are
proposing to ban
Alternative für Deutschland (AfD), now one of the most popular parties in the country. That’s the wrong way to go. It would only reinforce the far-right party’s supporters in their conviction that the democratic state itself is a kind of liberal elitist conspiracy, and impart to the AfD the nimbus of martyrdom. The French experiment of a “republican arc”, in which virtually all the other parties agree only on keeping out Marine Le Pen’s National Rally, is also visibly backfiring. Such a wide range of parties unsurprisingly fails to agree on urgently needed reforms and the National Rally can go on criticising from the sidelines. So it’s worth contemplating the example of the Netherlands, where the party of the inflammatory populist Geert Wilders was allowed into power in a coalition government, failed to deliver, brought that government down by
withdrawing from the coalition
, and
lost the subsequent election
(albeit only narrowly) to a liberal party led by the young, dynamic Rob Jetten.
Timothy Garton Ash is a historian, political writer and Guardian columnist
Continue reading…
