OPINION: Europe’s Populist Revolt Reaches Latin America

The campaign of former army captain and far-right candidate Jair Bolsonaro captured regional and international media attention in the past month. While analyses of the new Brazilian president elect’s policies and rhetoric abound, his electoral victory is significant in its contribution to the broader populist trend sweeping Latin America and the world. Though Latin America’s Pink Tide is well known for bringing to power many leftist populist governments in the early 21st century—including those of Hugo Chavez, Evo Morales—and Rafael Correa, recent regional trends have seen the same populist techniques employed across the political spectrum.

The most recent Brazilian elections demonstrate just how far the practice and appeal of politics have shifted globally. Academics and journalists alike have been pointing to the worldwide rise in populist candidates and anti-establishment sentiment for several years. In countries from France to the Philippines, anti-democratic and xenophobic rhetoric seems to have unlocked repressed anger hidden in all corners of society. The liberal “elites” of the world have found themselves stunned, and questions like, “how did we get here?” and “do I even know my country anymore?” have echoed from Poland to the U.S. and now to Brazil.

Though introspection is important, these questions reveal how deeply divided societies have become and, in turn, how siloed these groups remain. The fact that anti-establishment, populist candidates have been winning elections all over the world should be enough to show that the majority of voters in many countries are painfully aware of exactly how we got here. The dramatic impact of globalization and the repercussions of the greatest refugee crisis in history have been major contributors, but it is also important to consider discontent stemming from domestic sources. In Brazil, this meant exasperation at unprecedented corruption, while in the U.S., this meant the frustrations of white, working class voters whose concerns have been unheard and unaddressed by politicians for years.

Regardless of the specific causes of this populist trend, the future of liberal democracy rests squarely on the ability of governments to adequately address their constituents’ concerns, and citizens’ ability to keep their governments accountable.