The dangers of blurring the meaning of democracy

A minimal definition of democracy is useless when populist movements can damage liberal institutions while still operating through democratic politics, argue Mårten Wikforss and Åsa Wikforss. They describe populism as “a toxic cocktail” that has already caused rapid and lasting harm to liberal democracy in several countries.

The authors begin with what they present as an established fact: democracy has declined worldwide. They refer to Freedom House, the Economist Intelligence Unit and the V-Dem Institute, then ask what has driven that decline and how the process develops.

Their answer is pointed. They identify right-wing populist politicians, naming Narendra Modi in India, Viktor Orbán in Hungary and Donald Trump in the United States. In Sweden, they place the Sweden Democrats at the center of the debate. The party became the largest on the right after the last election and gained substantial influence over government policy through the Tidö Agreement.

That influence has sharpened questions about Sweden’s democratic risks. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson has promised the Sweden Democrats government posts if an election victory produces another Tidö government. The authors ask whether the party’s influence has already harmed Swedish democracy and what formal entry into government could mean.

They reject the idea that warning about a political movement is inherently undemocratic. Instead, they call for a collective assessment of risk. They point to recurring signs: culture wars, rising emotional polarization, unmanageable disagreement over facts, attacks on vulnerable groups, assaults on editorial media and a weakening rule of law. “Nothing is predetermined,” they write, but the combination has produced serious damage elsewhere.