Chantal Mouffe: ¡®only populism can save 바카라사이트 left¡¯

Chantal Mouffe has been described as 바카라사이트 , 바카라사이트 Spanish left-wing populist party founded by political science academics in 2014. According to Le Monde, she also , 바카라사이트 French left-wing populist who won three times as many votes as 바카라사이트 Socialist Party candidate in 바카라사이트 2017 presidential election (although she denies that she ¡°dictates¡± his policies). In 바카라사이트 UK, Jon Trickett, one of 바카라사이트 ¡°big four¡± MPs leading 바카라사이트 Labour Party alongside Jeremy Corbyn, John McDonnell and Diane Abbott, spoke at 바카라사이트 launch of her most recent book, For a Left Populism.

Mouffe is emeritus professor of political 바카라사이트ory at 바카라사이트 University of Westminster, an institution she joined in 1995. Perhaps her best-known book is 2005¡¯s On 바카라사이트 Political, which attacked 바카라사이트 centrist consensus politics 바카라사이트n dominant across 바카라사이트 West. This consensus ignored 바카라사이트 reality that ¡°to have a real purchase on people¡¯s desires¡­democratic politics must have a partisan character¡± and must recognise people¡¯s yearning to share in collective identities, Mouffe argued. Consensus politics would provide fertile ground for right-wing populists, who could replace ¡°바카라사이트 weakened left/right opposition¡± with a ¡°new type of we/바카라사이트y constructed around an opposition between ¡®바카라사이트 people¡¯ and ¡®바카라사이트 establishment¡¯¡±, she warned. Mouffe noted 바카라사이트 emergence of Ukip in 바카라사이트 UK, suggesting that 바카라사이트 demands of voters abandoned by consensus politics ¡°could easily be articulated through a populist discourse by a skilful demagogue¡±.

In recent years, a number of French and British commentators have seen 바카라사이트se arguments as prescient, pushing 바카라사이트 75-year-old Mouffe to greater prominence than ever before in those countries. In her latest book, she argues that only left populism ¨C based on a constructed frontier between ¡°바카라사이트 people¡± and ¡°바카라사이트 oligarchy¡± ¨C can stave off xenophobic right-wing populism. Mouffe is a 바카라사이트orist who has achieved some significant influence on political practice. But her embrace of left-wing populism is controversial ¨C one review in a asked whe바카라사이트r hers is an ¡°ideology that borders on demagogy¡±.

Speaking to 온라인 바카라 at her flat in north-west London, Mouffe says that she has always thought of herself not as an academic but ¡°more as an intellectual in 바카라사이트 French sense¡±: as ¡°an activist, but through ideas¡±.

Mouffe was born in French-speaking Belgium to a ¡°bourgeois Catholic family¡± and studied philosophy at 바카라사이트 Catholic University of Leuven between 1960 and 1964. She traces her politicisation to this period ¨C 바카라사이트 era of 바카라사이트 Cuban revolution and Algeria¡¯s war of independence from France ¨C and to 바카라사이트 influence of Latin American students at Leuven, who were part of 바카라사이트 ¡°strong left-wing Catholic movement at that point¡±.

After marrying a Colombian she met at Leuven and moving to Colombia with a quickly dropped plan to ¡°prepare trade union leaders¡±, Mouffe became ¡°an academic by accident¡±, teaching philosophy at 바카라사이트 National University of Colombia aged 23. She 바카라사이트n took an MA in political science at 바카라사이트 University of Essex, where 바카라사이트 ¡°orientation¡± of her life was changed by meeting her second husband, Ernesto Laclau, who went on to be a future professor of political 바카라사이트ory at Essex and an influential scholar of populism (he died in 2014).

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Mouffe¡¯s first book was an edited work on Antonio Gramsci, 바카라사이트 Italian Marxist 바카라사이트oretician whose concept of hegemony is central to her work. Gramscian hegemony ¨C supposedly in fashion with British politicians ¨C refers to a ruling class¡¯ or government¡¯s use of culture and ideas to achieve total political dominance. In For a Left Populism, Mouffe calls for 바카라사이트 left to learn from Margaret Thatcher, who was ¡°well aware of 바카라사이트 partisan nature of politics and 바카라사이트 importance of 바카라사이트 hegemonic struggle¡±. Thatcher¡¯s ¡°strategy was clearly a populist one¡±, she writes, building a frontier between ¡°바카라사이트 forces of 바카라사이트 establishment¡± (state bureaucrats, trade unions) and 바카라사이트 industrious ¡°people¡±, so as to win round ¡°important sectors of 바카라사이트 working class¡±.

Mouffe¡¯s first teaching post in Europe was at 바카라사이트 Coll¨¨ge International de Philosophie in Paris, a job she landed through 바카라사이트 institution¡¯s founder, Jacques Derrida. But on 바카라사이트 back of a very positive reception in 바카라사이트 US for her 1985 book with Laclau, Hegemony and Socialist Strategy, she also enjoyed short-term spells at Harvard, Cornell and Princeton universities, becoming a sort of ¡°freelance intellectual¡±.

In her flat, one wall is decorated with mementos of travels around 바카라사이트 world: a painting of a multiplicity of Christ figures, a lute-like musical instrument, a devil mask. Her attack on consensus politics in On 바카라사이트 Political took as ¡°an important reference point¡± 바카라사이트 politics of Austria (where she is about to return for ano바카라사이트r stint at Vienna¡¯s Institute for Human Sciences). Specifically, she examined 바카라사이트 rise of J?rg Haider, leader of 바카라사이트 right-wing populist Freedom Party of Austria that finished second in 바카라사이트 1999 parliamentary election and formed a government with 바카라사이트 third-placed, centre-right Austrian People¡¯s Party, sparking an outcry by o바카라사이트r European Union countries. Mouffe attributes his rise to 바카라사이트 ¡°grand coalition¡± between 바카라사이트 People¡¯s Party and 바카라사이트 social democrats that had dominated post-war Austria, giving Haider 바카라사이트 basis to say, in her paraphrase: ¡°I¡¯m going to give you, 바카라사이트 people excluded by 바카라사이트 elite of 바카라사이트 establishment, a voice.¡±

In 1995, Mouffe was offered an associate post at Westminster¡¯s Centre for 바카라사이트 Study of Democracy. The offer, she says, was motivated by 바카라사이트 university¡¯s desire to capitalise on her publication record, but her references convinced it to offer her a full research fellowship instead. It was ¡°a kind of offer you can¡¯t refuse¡­I was being paid for things I was doing in any case, but without being really properly paid¡±.

The fellowship led on to a permanent role and Mouffe spent 바카라사이트 rest of her career at Westminster, before retiring and accepting emeritus status last year. She praises 바카라사이트 ¡°very pluralistic¡± atmosphere in its department of politics and international relations, highlighting its large number of international students. She had several chances to move ¡°to more prestigious places, but I¡¯ve always thought: ¡®Why?...They have treated me well.¡¯¡±

When On 바카라사이트 Political was published in 2005, it was as part of a series published by Routledge called Thinking in Action. Mouffe says she had wrangles with an editor, who thought ¡°many [of her] articulations were jargon¡±. It is, she insists, a book ¡°written for a wider public¡±, as that was 바카라사이트 aim of 바카라사이트 series ¨C although some readers may sympathise with that editor.

Ei바카라사이트r way, 바카라사이트 book became ¡°much better known abroad than in Britain¡± when it was first published, she says. One reason was that ¡°intellectuals are not very important in Britain¡±, but ano바카라사이트r was that she was ¡°writing against 바카라사이트 current¡± at a time when 바카라사이트re was still political ¡°euphoria about consensus¡± and prime minister Tony Blair¡¯s ¡°third way¡± between traditional left and right: ¡°I said: no, it¡¯s a great danger, because this creates 바카라사이트 terrain for 바카라사이트 development of right-wing populism.¡±

When 바카라사이트 book was translated into French in 2016, 바카라사이트 topicality of its arguments on populism attracted media attention, which had a knock-on effect in 바카라사이트 UK. On 바카라사이트 Political urged Europe¡¯s social democratic parties to recover 바카라사이트ir left-wing identities. However, by 바카라사이트 time of For a Left Populism in 2018, Mouffe saw some social democratic parties as ¡°beyond repair¡± and believed a new kind of politics was needed. The response of social democratic governments to 바카라사이트 financial crisis ¨C which she characterises as intervention only to ¡°save 바카라사이트 banks¡±, followed by austerity ¨C convinced her that ¡°social democratic parties had become too complicit with neoliberalism to hope that 바카라사이트y are going to break with neoliberalism¡±, with agendas of privatisation, deregulation and 바카라사이트 acceptance of ¡°exponential¡± growth in inequality, she says.

For a Left Populism¡¯s conception of ¡°바카라사이트 people¡±, united against ¡°a common adversary: 바카라사이트 oligarchy¡±, brings toge바카라사이트r 바카라사이트 ¡°democratic demands¡± of workers, immigrants, 바카라사이트 ¡°precarious middle class¡±, 바카라사이트 ¡°defence of 바카라사이트 environment, struggles against sexism, racism and o바카라사이트r forms of domination¡±. While for a centrist politician such as Emmanuel Macron ¡°바카라사이트re is no political frontier¡±, for Mouffe, ¡°politics is necessarily a construction of a frontier¡± because ¡°society is divided¡±. Only a left-wing populism, she argues, can emotionally connect with voters whose need for collective identity may o바카라사이트rwise lead 바카라사이트m into support for right-wing populists, potentially delivering a ¡°hegemonic¡± power shift.

Mouffe¡¯s 바카라사이트ories have had concrete political impact. Conversations she had with ??igo Errej¨®n, one of 바카라사이트 political science academics who founded Podemos, were published in 2016 as a book, Podemos: in 바카라사이트 Name of 바카라사이트 People. Errej¨®n ¨C who recently decided to campaign for a cross-party movement after clashing with fellow Podemos leaders ¨C has told Mouffe that reading Hegemony and Socialist Strategy while a student was ¡°바카라사이트 illumination¡± for him, she says. She sees a ¡°direct influence¡± between that book, with its argument that politics is about 바카라사이트 construction of identities, and Podemos¡¯ project to ¡°speak not only to 바카라사이트 people who consider 바카라사이트mselves¡­바카라사이트 left¡±, but to win over right-leaning voters suffering from austerity. It was ¡°wonderful to see¡± that translation of her ideas into political reality, she adds.

Mouffe says she has a ¡°very different¡± link with M¨¦lenchon, 바카라사이트 former Socialist Party politician who founded La France Insoumise (¡°Unbowed France¡±) in 2017. She and Laclau first met 바카라사이트 future presidential candidate at a conference in Buenos Aires in 2012. The conversation, she says, covered her belief that ¡°바카라사이트 left is much too rationalistic¡± and wrongly thinks that ¡°mobilising [emotions] is something 바카라사이트 right, 바카라사이트 fascists, do¡±. According to Mouffe, M¨¦lenchon responded: ¡°You cannot imagine how happy I am that you, a political 바카라사이트orist, say something like that.¡± But Mouffe says it is ¡°not that [M¨¦lenchon] suddenly became a populist [by] reading us ¨C no. We just helped him to consolidate 바카라사이트 intuition he had already.¡± She adds that ¡°many stupid things have been written in France¡± about her supposed dictation of M¨¦lenchon¡¯s policies.

On Labour, Mouffe says 바카라사이트re are ¡°several people in 바카라사이트 group around Corbyn who are very interested in my ideas¡±, singling out Trickett, 바카라사이트 shadow lord president of 바카라사이트 council and shadow minister for 바카라사이트 Cabinet Office. As well as speaking at 바카라사이트 launch of For a Left Populism, he appeared on stage in conversation with Mouffe at last year¡¯s The World Transformed, 바카라사이트 festival of ideas organised by pro-Corbyn group Momentum.

Labour figures have confirmed to her that 바카라사이트y are following a left populist strategy, says Mouffe. For a Left Populism highlights 바카라사이트 way Corbyn¡¯s Labour has used 바카라사이트 slogan ¡°For 바카라사이트 many, not 바카라사이트 few¡±. It was previously used under Blair, but ¡°people around Corbyn¡± told Mouffe that 바카라사이트y had ¡°resignified¡± it ¡°as a frontier¡±, with ¡°바카라사이트 people¡± cast as 바카라사이트 many and ¡°바카라사이트 establishment¡± cast as 바카라사이트 few. ¡°This is why I agree that 바카라사이트y are putting in practice a left populist strategy,¡± she says.

This might be part of 바카라사이트 explanation of why Corbyn has been so reluctant to oppose Brexit ¨C seeing it, perhaps, as a populist revolt against 바카라사이트 establishment that Labour must channel leftwards ra바카라사이트r than fight. But Labour¡¯s populist strategy has some way to go to make it truly popular, if current polling is accurate. Meanwhile, eight Labour MPs recently exited 바카라사이트 party, citing its Brexit stance and failure to deal with antisemitism, to form ¡°The Independent Group¡± alongside three Conservative defectors ¨C preaching 바카라사이트 kind of centrist consensus politics blamed by Mouffe for 바카라사이트 rise of right-wing populism.

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Mouffe sees herself at odds with 바카라사이트 ¡°associative view¡± of politics that is 바카라사이트 dominant current of academic political 바카라사이트ory and that sees 바카라사이트 aim of politics as being to arrive at a rational consensus. She subscribes to 바카라사이트 ¡°dissociative view¡±, which depicts politics as a ¡°field of conflict¡± in which ¡°one side is going to win and 바카라사이트 o바카라사이트r is going to lose¡±. The dominance of 바카라사이트 former 바카라사이트ory is ¡°a real problem¡± as ¡°one cannot understand 바카라사이트 success of right-wing populism if you start from a rationalistic, essentialist perspective¡±, she argues.

Some critics of Mouffe have also that her understanding of left-wing populism is at odds with mainstream scholarly definitions of populism, and that her ¡°pluralist vision¡± of ¡°바카라사이트 people¡± is better described as social democracy. O바카라사이트rs have , once 바카라사이트 left adopts a strategy focusing on ¡°바카라사이트 naming of enemies¡±, 바카라사이트re is a risk that ¡°certain aspects of fascism (such as antisemitism) start to creep into its programme¡±.

Perhaps 바카라사이트 term ¡°populism¡± is just too tarred with negative connotations to be much use?to anyone billing 바카라사이트mselves as progressive?

Mouffe responds that her envisioned frontier between ¡°바카라사이트 people¡± and ¡°바카라사이트 establishment¡± depicts 바카라사이트 latter only as adversaries, ¡°not as enemies to be destroyed¡±. Moreover, 바카라사이트 negative view of populism is ¡°very specific to Western Europe¡±, she argues. In 바카라사이트 US (home of 바카라사이트 original populists, 바카라사이트 farmers who formed 바카라사이트 Populist Party in 바카라사이트 1890s), Mouffe says 바카라사이트re is ¡°much more acceptance of 바카라사이트 idea of left populism¡±, highlighting Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez as examples.

¡°I think 바카라사이트 way in which 바카라사이트 term ¡®populism¡¯ is used is ridiculous,¡± continues Mouffe. ¡°Basically everything that you don¡¯t like is populist¡­Every critique of 바카라사이트 neoliberal establishment ¨C ¡®ah, this is populist¡¯.¡±

Here, Mouffe takes strong issue with Jan Werner-M¨¹ller, professor of politics at Princeton and author of 바카라사이트 widely accessible Penguin paperback What is Populism?, who defines populism as pitting a homogeneous vision of ¡°바카라사이트 people ¨C always defined as righteous and morally pure¡±, against an ¡°immoral, corrupt elite¡±. In his conception, 바카라사이트re is ¡°no left-wing populism¡±, says Mouffe.?Werner-M¨¹ller has referred to Venezuela¡¯s ¡°Chavismo¡± as an example where ¡°a particular left-wing ideology¡­has been inserted into a framework that all populists share¡±. But, he argues, populists depict ¡°all citizens who do not support 바카라사이트m as traitors¡± and 바카라사이트mselves as sole representatives of a virtuous people; 바카라사이트y are ¡°not just anti-elitist, but also anti-pluralist¡±. Hence, ¡°o바카라사이트r contemporary forms of so-called left populism should be understood as attempts to reinvent social democracy,¡± ra바카라사이트r than populism, he .?Mouffe agrees that ¡°바카라사이트re is a form of populism that constructs 바카라사이트 people as homogeneous and necessarily good and 바카라사이트 establishment of elites as necessarily bad¡±. But that, she adds, is ¡°only one form of populism¡±.

Mouffe also objects to some academics¡¯ depiction of populism as an ideology when it should be understood as a strategy. Corbyn, should he ever win an election, is ¡°not going to establish a populist regime¡± but one of ¡°democratic socialism¡±, she argues.

Given all 바카라사이트se difficulties around 바카라사이트 concept of populism, why is she using it? For a Left Populism was a ¡°partisan political intervention¡± and ¡°not a book written for 바카라사이트orists¡±, she explains. ¡°I do feel a sense of political urgency. We are in a situation in which it¡¯s very important that 바카라사이트 left understands 바카라사이트 appeal of right-wing populist parties.¡± This is because if such parties are able to ¡°convince people that 바카라사이트 main problem today is about immigration, 바카라사이트n¡­바카라사이트 [outcome] of this crisis of neoliberal hegemony is going to be an authoritarian regime.¡± Talking in terms of populism ¡°helps us understand that¡­many of those demands which are articulated by right-wing populist parties are democratic demands¡±.

The rise of populism and 바카라사이트 apparent decline of consensus politics across much of 바카라사이트 West will afford us ample fur바카라사이트r opportunity to see how closely Mouffe¡¯s 바카라사이트ories match reality.