Why populism is the dark but inevitable side of democracy
It is true that we are now living in an era of all-encompassing populism. From Trump's victory and Brexit back in 2016 to the present day, populists are increasingly becoming presidents, prime ministers, or at least members of parliament.
Populism has many interpretations, but the most important thing about it is its total simplification. Complex things are usually understood by the minority, and simple things by the majority, so populists deliberately focus on simple things that can gain popularity among the masses. And if an idea is put forward not because it is correct, but because it is popular, this is populism. And such simple solutions are now found in all spheres of life - from politics and economics to cosmetology and cooking.
A special feature of modern populism is its inextricable connection with social media. Foreign intelligence agencies, self-serving businessmen, and ambitious gurus use algorithms to convey to each social group the opinion that is popular in that group. Cambridge Analytica's interference in the American and British elections with the help of Facebook began in 2014. In 2024, the Romanian elections were canceled due to Russian influence with the help of TikTok.
Because of this, many people have the impression that populism is a product of high technology: Web 2.0 (information exchange between users) and smartphones. There is some truth in this, but only some. Modern populism is fueled by social media, but the phenomenon itself is much older.
To be honest, we have to admit that democracy is to blame for the emergence of populism. As soon as any democratic mechanism emerged, populists immediately seized it. The entire history of democratic progress of mankind is also the history of populism .