This archive report was first published on 11 July 2019.
Published on July 11, 2019, a wave of anti-populist protests swept across Central Europe, signaling a potential shift in the region's political landscape. Hungary, Romania, Moldova, and Georgia have all witnessed significant protests in the past two years, with Hungarians taking to the streets to protest against Viktor Orbán's government, which has been criticized for undermining democracy through corruption, economic mismanagement, and media clampdowns.
Similar protests have also taken place in Romania, where the jailing of Liviu Dragnea, the country's most powerful politician, was met with widespread celebration. In Moldova, a liberal opposition party has entered government, albeit alongside the Russia-leaning Socialist party, following protests against the country's quasi-populist government.
Central European countries have also taken a strong stance against Russia, with Greece expelling Russian diplomats in response to Russian interference in the naming of North Macedonia. Montenegro arrested a range of violent coup plotters backed by Russia in 2016, and 14 of them were convicted and sentenced to prison this year.
These anti-populist trends have emerged despite heavy Russian interference in the form of cyber warfare and direct intervention by Federal Security Service agents. Russia also interfered in the European Parliament elections in May, but numerous populists, including Germany's A.F.D. party, performed less well than expected.
Western Europe has not been entirely devoid of liberal results, with the Social Democrats winning a rare national victory in Denmark and populists being kept out of recent governments in Finland, Sweden, and Estonia. Spain's Socialist Party also routed the populists with ease, and Austria's Sebastian Kurz appears well-positioned to fight for a new term in coming elections after jettisoning the populist contingent from his coalition.
While the question remains whether a discernible trend is at work, logic may be on the liberals' side. Populist leaders tend to be poor at governing, particularly in economic policy, and the more Russia continues to rattle its sabers, the more places like Poland will avoid becoming too populist. Liberal, green, and other parties offer decidedly anti-populist policies, which may be gaining traction in Europe.
As the battle against populism continues, it remains to be seen whether a larger global 'backlash to the backlash' trend is afoot. However, in Central Europe, the evidence is clear: major protests have erupted in Turkey, Algeria, Sudan, Kazakhstan, Venezuela, and Hong Kong, marking a significant shift against populist leaders and policies.
