Far-right threats persist if mainstream politics fails to address voter grievances and actively promote liberal democracy as a viable project.
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OBCT - ITA
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For Cas Mudde, defeating far-right forces electorally is insufficient because they often return; the core issue is the failure of mainstream politics to address voter dissatisfaction. He argues that liberal democracy’s weakness lies in its defenders failing to inspire or learn from voters who turn to the far right out of unhappiness. Mudde views the current American right as a more direct threat to European liberal democracy than China because it actively seeks to change Europe into something resembling the US, unlike China which is primarily focused on economics. He warns that while excluding far-right parties is desirable, rigid exclusion mechanisms can lead to perpetual rule by those groups if they gain significant support. The priority must be defending liberal democracy as a project rather than merely maintaining boundaries. Mudde also critiques media narratives surrounding youth radicalization, asserting that young women are more politically progressive than often portrayed, and criticizes mainstream parties for failing to connect with younger voters who associate them with austerity. Ultimately, he suggests the solution is not a single fix but local action and engaging in difficult conversations within one’s own social circles, emphasizing that liberal democracy must be made worth believing in again.
