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Southeast Asia

February 9, 2024

🔮 Populist polarisation might benefit democracy – as Southeast Asia suggests

Diego Fossati We typically associate populism with corrosive partisan polarisation. Indeed, populist rhetoric often denigrates opponents as 'enemies of the people'. But while polarisation can have negative effects on democracy, Diego Fossati argues that it may also bring unexpected benefits. Using cases from Southeast Asia, he offers some convincing evidence Read more

June 22, 2023

🔮 Going beyond the Eurocentrism of populism research: lessons from the Philippines

Adele Webb Is the concept of populism a help or a hindrance in understanding complex political dynamics in the Global South? Adele Webb draws on the case of the Philippines to challenge Eurocentric and historically truncated views of populism. Here, she calls for more contextualised readings of populism’s manifestations outside the West Read more

January 13, 2022

The EU narrative around trade with Vietnam

Camille Nessel EU trade policy is widely contested by the public. Their concern: the danger of prioritising neoliberal economic interests over citizens' human rights. Yet, write Camille Nessel and Elke Verhaeghe, the EU was able to avoid mass protest by creating an ethical narrative around its trade negotiations with authoritarian Vietnam Read more

February 18, 2021

Alive but not well: it’s a hard life for Myanmar’s democracy

Stefano Ruzza What does the recent military coup tell us about the prospects for Myanmar’s regime? Stefano Ruzza argues that while the country's semi-democracy is not dead, it is unlikely ever to escape occasional authoritarian interventions Read more

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