A politician with distinctive blond hair stands in front of an audience of cheering activists. Shouting into the microphone, he promises to make the country great again.

This was not Donald Trump in America, but Geert Wilders in the Netherlands. On 23 November his party won the Dutch election, despite far-right views on immigration, Islam and the Europe Union.

Wilders is not the only successful politician with extreme views. Autumn saw election victories for the far-left leaders Javier Milei in Argentina and Robert Fico in SlovakiaA country in central Europe. Until 1993 it was part of Czechoslovakia.. Turkey, India, Italy, Hungary and Russia all have nationalistsThe Nationalists were loyal to the Chinese ruler Chiang Kai-Shek. After being defeated by the communists in the civil war, Chiang remained ruler of Taiwan until his death in 1975. as leaders.

These politicians are known as populistsPopulism is a political approach whereby a politician tries to appeal to ordinary people who feel that they have been let down by elite groups., claiming to represent the will of the people. And they are on the rise: one-third of Europeans now vote for populist far-left or far-right parties.¹

Populist leaders treat those who disagree with them as enemies. They keep hold of power by ignoring the democratic process and attacking religious or ethnic minorities.

To many, these tactics are a reminder of fascismA political ideology that rose to power in 20th-Century Europe. It stressed militarism and order over personal freedom, and often divided society according to racial hierarchies. in the 1920s and 1930s. The political party of Italy's current prime minister, Georgia Meloni, has been called "the most right wing to govern the country since the collapse of Mussolini's dictatorship 80 years ago."²

However, the political and economic situation in Europe was completely different during the 1930s, with the long aftermath of World War One and the Great Depression, and the risk of a communistAn economic system entailing collective ownership of all means of production in contrast with capitalism, which holds that industry and businesses are controlled and run for profit by private owners rather than by the government. revolution.

Recent elections in Brazil and Poland saw the far-right leaders replaced. At the beginning of 2023, the number of populist leaders around the world was at its lowest for two decades.³

Next year sees roughly fifty elections taking place around the world. Populist leaders will play a major role, even if none of them become the next Hitler.

Yes: One in three voters in Europe choose far-right or far-left politicians. History teaches us the danger of populist leaders. We should take them seriously before it's too late.

No: The situation today is nothing like the 1930s. International institutions give us much stronger defences against populism. Making scary comparisons to the past only confuses things.

Or... We should not ignore the risk of populism, nor should we demonise far-right or far-left leaders. Instead we have to ask why so many people prefer them to mainstream politicians.