Asian Angle | Duterte, Modi, Widodo. Re-elected or not, their populism will live on
- There is too little faith in democracy to beat ‘emerging market populism’ by appealing to values
- Only an alternative political agenda that combines rights and effective governance can win back the disgruntled middle classes
Major Asian democracies will undergo crucial elections in the coming months, which will test the mettle of a new brand of populism that has gripped the region.
Though their backgrounds and operations are diverse, these political figures have in common four basic characteristics.
First, railing against bureaucratic red tape and corruption, they promised decisive and effective leadership. In particular, they drew heavily on their executive background in local governance and their folksy, if not pedestrian, demeanour.
Second, they ran on an anti-establishment platform, which promised political transformation at the expense of a discredited ruling elite. Third, they emphasised the importance of societal order, even if this came at the expense of rule of law and basic civil liberties.
And, crucially, they enjoyed huge appeal among the emerging middle classes and the youth, who seek a greater voice and new opportunities amid years of rapid yet uneven economic growth.
