Hallische Jahrbücher 2

Populism is less a program than a style of politics. The crises of recent years were not the causes of its rise, but rather the catalysts in the formation of a new party system. At the very least, it is not entirely far-fetched to view populist parties as prototypes of the political organizations of the future. They align more closely with the working and living realities of most people than the cumbersome traditional parties. For this reason, the political landscapes in the West are likely to change sooner or later in the image of populism. Perhaps the party landscape of the future will emerge from the populist organizations of today, or perhaps the established parties will transform themselves in their image. In their current form, they will not survive.