Populism and Technocracy: Pillars of Postwar Representative Democracy in Europe

Abstract

The established representative democracy in Europe is facing growing challenges. In a rapidly evolving landscape that resolves some crises while encountering new ones, two movements – populism and technocracy – are emerging as alternatives to the traditional party-based system. This article investigates the interaction between these movements and representative democracy, focusing on how they influence and potentially transform the current political framework. My objective is to determine whether the (re)emergence of these movements signifies the decline of representative democracy or if they will instead reshape it and become integral components of the system.