Populism is now viewed as a major threat to democracy. It is argued to erode participation and should be mitigated. An interesting new article in Democracy Digest titled “Renewing democracy in the age of populism“examines the views espoused by key experts on to “allow for participation without populism”

From Democracy Digest:

Participation without populism is one of three practical solutions to the core challenges facing democracies in the West, according to Nicolas Berggruen and Nathan Gardels, co-authors of “Renovating Democracy:  Governing in the Age of Globalization and Digital Capitalism,”  the Brookings Institution reports:

• • To allow for participation without populism, the authors recommend integrating social networks and direct democracy with institutions that mediate and foster consensus.
  • Changing the narrative from “redistribution” of wealth, the authors argue for “predistribution” in an effort to improve the skillset and assets of those less affluent.
  • The authors advocate for positive nationalism at home while supporting cooperation across the globe. They emphasized that Western countries do not need to abandon established institutions, only “renovate” within existing frameworks.

Is populism in Central and Eastern Europe finally losing its momentum? In Poland, opposition parties won the Senate, and the ruling Law and Justice (PiS) party’s share of the vote slipped to 43.7%, from 45.5% in European Parliament elections this past May, notes Slawomir Sierakowski, founder of the Krytyka Polityczna movement, Director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Warsaw and a fellow at the Robert Bosch Academy in Berlin.

Read the full article here.