Populism as a threat to the rule of law

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to bring the reader closer to what the term populism means, what are its defining elements, in which parts of the world and in what forms is this phenomenon present today, and, finally, what consequences it has on modern democracies and the rule of law. The introductory part of the paper deals with the issue of defining the term populism, presenting the theories that are most common in the literature and setting out the constitutive elements of the term. The paper further provides an overview of the regions in which populism is most present today, with a general inspection of its manifestations and a brief historical outline of its origins. Finally, the paper concludes with the analysis of the negative and positive consequences that the populism has on today's democratic societies, as well as of its impact on the rule of law – i.e., by answering the question of whether the founding pillars of the 21st century rule of law manage to withstand the onslaught of a strong, all-coming, populist wave?