Populism as a Panacea for the Impasses of (Post)democracy?

Abstract

The article reconsiders the latest work of Ernesto Laclau, On Populist Reason. Its main topic consists of questioning whether categories of ‘people’ and populism are compatible with ‘democratic invention’ and what price has to be paid if populism is to be some kind of panacea for the impasses of postdemocracy. In such a manner, not only the inner tension and contradiction of democracy as such is lost, but both sides are ‘neutralised’ and marked with a deep ambiguity. On the other hand, the ground for all extremisms is gone – but for Lefort that ground is inseparable from the very essence of democracy.