Liberal democracy, once considered the inevitable endpoint of political evolution, is witnessing an alarming retreat across the globe. From Europe to Latin America, Asia to the United States, populist leaders are dismantling the pillars of pluralism, openness, and rule-based governance. In parallel, the post-war liberal consensus, built upon international cooperation, economic liberalization, and institutional checks, has fractured under the weight of inequality, cultural anxiety, and disillusionment with elites. This editorial explores the ascent of populism and the corresponding erosion of liberal consensus, examining the causes, manifestations, and long-term implications for global governance and democratic stability.
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The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991 seemed to cement the triumph of liberal democracy. Political scientist Francis Fukuyama’s “The End of History” thesis predicted the global dominance of liberal democratic capitalism. However, in recent years, that vision has unraveled. According to Freedom House’s 2024 “Freedom in the World” report, 2023 marked the 18th consecutive year of global democratic decline, with political rights and civil liberties deteriorating in 52 countries. At the same time, populist regimes, often defined by their anti-elite rhetoric, nationalist fervor, and disdain for institutional norms, are rising to power through democratic means, only to erode the very systems that elevated them.
From Donald Trump in the U.S. to Narendra Modi in India, Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan in Turkey, and Viktor Orbán in Hungary, populist leaders promise to restore national pride, challenge liberal elites, and prioritize “the will of the people” over constitutional constraints. Their popularity reveals not only a rejection of traditional parties but a deeper crisis of representation and identity, challenging the liberal consensus that governed much of the post-Cold War order.
One of the principal drivers of populism is the growing disconnect between the promises of globalization and the lived experiences of ordinary citizens. While international trade and market liberalization lifted millions out of poverty globally, they also exacerbated income inequality, hollowed out middle-class jobs, and deepened regional disparities in developed nations. According to the OECD (2023), the richest 10% now earn more than ten times the income of the poorest 10% in most advanced economies.
This economic dislocation has fueled resentment, particularly among those who feel left behind by urbanization, automation, and deindustrialization. In the United States, the 2016 election of Donald Trump was driven in large part by working-class white voters in deindustrialized regions, who felt alienated by both Republican and Democratic establishments. Similarly, Brexit revealed economic and cultural divides within the United Kingdom, where voters outside metropolitan areas challenged the dominance of pro-European elites.
Populists capitalize on these grievances by offering simple solutions to complex problems, scapegoating immigrants, supranational institutions, and liberal cosmopolitanism. In doing so, they offer not just economic redress, but a restoration of cultural and national identity, framing themselves as champions of the “real people” against corrupt elites.
Beyond economics, cultural and identity-based anxieties are central to the populist surge. Rapid demographic changes, increased migration, gender equality movements, and the visibility of minority rights have triggered a backlash among segments of populations that perceive these shifts as threats to traditional hierarchies and values.
According to Pew Research (2020), a majority of right-wing populist voters in Europe believe that Islam is incompatible with Western culture, and express concern over declining national identity due to immigration. These sentiments are echoed in India, where Hindu nationalist rhetoric under Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has targeted Muslims and redefined secularism in majoritarian terms. In Hungary, Orbán’s calls to defend Christian Europe have legitimized policies that restrict civil liberties and suppress dissent.
Populist leaders exploit identity politics not only to gain electoral support but to dismantle pluralism, branding critics as traitors and minorities as outsiders. This strategy polarizes societies, weakening the inclusive consensus that is foundational to liberal democracy.
A defining trait of contemporary populism is its open contempt for institutional constraints, including the judiciary, the press, civil service, and independent regulators. Populist leaders often consolidate power by undermining checks and balances, appointing loyalists, rewriting constitutions, and delegitimizing electoral processes when outcomes are unfavorable.
In Turkey, Erdoğan has centralized executive power, purged tens of thousands of civil servants, and curtailed press freedom, transforming a once-promising democracy into a competitive authoritarian regime. Similarly, Hungary’s Orbán has used constitutional amendments to weaken the judiciary and electoral commission, ensuring long-term political dominance for his Fidesz party.
In the U.S., the January 6, 2021 insurrection, fueled by unfounded claims of election fraud, was a dramatic manifestation of populist disdain for democratic norms. According to the Brookings Institution, nearly 147 Republican lawmakers voted to overturn the results of a legitimate election, illustrating how populist rhetoric can erode the foundations of electoral legitimacy.
Populist governments often adopt nationalist and isolationist foreign policies, rejecting multilateralism in favor of sovereignty and unilateralism. This rejection of international norms has weakened institutions like the United Nations, the World Trade Organization, and the European Union, all of which were pillars of the liberal consensus. For instance, Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris Climate Accord, Iran Nuclear Deal, and threats to withdraw from NATO marked a radical departure from decades of bipartisan commitment to global cooperation. Likewise, Brexit represented a populist rejection of the EU, fueled by narratives of lost sovereignty and bureaucratic overreach.
These moves have fragmented global governance, making coordinated responses to transnational challenges, such as climate change, pandemics, and cyber threats, more difficult. The erosion of international norms undermines the post–World War II architecture that prioritized diplomacy, human rights, and economic interdependence as mechanisms for peace.
Populism thrives in polarized environments where moderation is viewed as weakness and compromise as betrayal. The shrinking space for centrist politics has led to the breakdown of traditional party systems in many democracies. In France, the dominance of parties like the Socialists and Republicans has been upended by populist movements on both the far-left and far-right. In Germany, the rise of the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) has fractured the post-war political consensus.
This polarization is often mirrored in the media, where echo chambers amplify populist narratives and vilify opponents. Social media platforms, driven by algorithmic engagement, reward outrage over deliberation. According to a study published in PNAS, political tweets with moral-emotional language are significantly more likely to be shared, contributing to an environment, where extremism gains traction.
As polarization deepens, the social fabric that supports democratic deliberation weakens, paving the way for populist demagogues to exploit fear, misinformation, and division for political gain.
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The rise of populism represents both a symptom and a catalyst of liberal democracy’s crisis. It emerges from legitimate grievances, economic precarity, identity insecurity, and institutional failure, but often addresses them through illiberal means. While some populist movements have enhanced political participation, their long-term effect has been erosion of norms, weakening of institutions, and international instability. Rebuilding the liberal consensus will require not only economic reforms and inclusive policies but also a reinvigoration of democratic culture, where pluralism, truth, and accountability are actively defended.
The ascent of populism and the decline of liberal consensus are reshaping the global political landscape. As populist leaders consolidate power, reject multilateralism, and dismantle institutional constraints, the liberal democratic model faces existential challenges. Yet these developments are not irreversible. Restoring public trust, addressing economic inequality, renewing civic education, and strengthening international cooperation can revive the principles of liberalism. Ultimately, the future of democracy depends on reconciling the aspirations of the people with the integrity of institutions, ensuring that popular will does not devolve into authoritarian populism.
