Malaysia – A Bright Spot for Democracy
www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2018-11-17/can-malaysia-s-mahathir-mohamad-revive-faith-in-democracy
Autocrats versus Populists
Autocrats versus Populists
Joshua Kurlantzick notes:
“Autocratic populists like Orban — leaders who win democratic elections and then undermine democratic institutions and norms without becoming outright dictators — have gained control of Brazil, the Philippines, Turkey, Hungary, Venezuela and Poland, among other nations, in recent years. While these leaders continually pit “the people” against supposedly corrupt elites, they often still hold free (if not always fair) elections. But in office, they act autocratically to unwind the conventions and institutions of democracy. This distinguishes them from populists (such as incoming Mexican president Andrés Manuel López Obrador, those who have recently run Greece and a host of other politicians in the West) who embrace populist economic messages and even the elite-popular divide but still mostly work within democratic constraints and rules.”