Right- and left-wing populism

Unlike common criteria such as “criticism of elites” and “right-wing populism,” civility theory offers a systematic way to understand populism. According to this theory, populists think one-sidedly (unilaterally, in terms of self-interest, power and friend–enemy logic); they are wary of, or reject, two- and multidimensional (multilateral) coordination. Accordingly, they favour autocratic ways of thinking and acting and struggle with policy and humanity-wide challenges that fall outside their unilateralist mindset.

Right-wing and left-wing populists differ in their attitudes toward equality: while right-wing populists justify inequality or even exalt it, left-wing populists are guided by equality as a core value. However, both right- and left-wing populists think in narrowly power-oriented terms, and therefore attach little importance to constitutional democracy or even reject it. Accordingly, they oscillate between mutual hostility (as leftists or rightists) and tacit alliances against democracy or in favour of autocracy.

However politically significant the struggles between Left and Right may be, they cannot replace our shared commitment to democracy and the rule of law.