2024

Palonen, Kari

The chapter situates certain rhetorical topoi of contemporary “populist” politics with respect to anti-parliamentary thinking in Western Europe since the mid-nineteenth century. The populist tradition deviates from classical anti-parliamentarism in an important respect: it shows no nostalgia toward monarchy and the order of estates, but considers itself “democratic” in its explicit appeal to “the people.” It combines, however, four different, but interconnected, anti-parliamentary topoi. In line with older anti-parliamentarism, the contemporary populists reject or denigrate political representation, parliamentarism’s “empty talk,” political professionalism, and the procedural style of politics. The chapter aims to discuss the political significance of these anti-parliamentary topoi in a wider historical perspective. The common consequence of these varieties of anti-parliamentary thinking lies in their attempt to depoliticize politics. Contemporary populists give this depoliticization some new nuances, while still longing to do away with politics, just as the other anti-parliamentary styles of thinking and acting did.