Populist Leadership

Abstract

The rise of populists across the globe has been one of the most-discussed political phenomena of the twenty-first century. These ‘saviours of the people’, promising to make their countries great again, have emerged and enjoyed electoral success in systems as diverse as Australia, France, the Netherlands, India, Venezuela and the United States. But what makes a leader ‘populist’? Are they really charismatic as is often claimed? And are their movements and parties here to stay or will they crash and burn after the leader falls from grace? This article sets out the key defining features of populism and charisma, before looking in depth at the relationships between populist leaders and their parties in Italy and Switzerland. It concludes that, while populist leaders may come and go, populism in Western democracies appears here to stay.