Where would we be without barbarians?

The author analyzes the mechanism of populism in Europe, describing it as a process of creating fixed, exclusionary images of 'the other' to define a 'good' people against a 'bad' elite and 'backward' minorities. Drawing on the work of Chantal Mouffe and Merijn Oudenampsen, the text suggests that the disappearance of ideological conflict between left and right after 1989 created a vacuum that populists filled with cultural and religious antagonisms. The author warns that Green and left-wing parties often inadvertently adopt populist frames—such as viewing religion as anti-modernist—and calls for a shift back to socio-economic analysis and the creation of inclusive, non-stereotypical political imagery.

• Populist movements define their political perspective by creating fixed, exclusionary images of 'others' who are presented as a danger to the 'real people'.
• Modern European populism has shifted from racial arguments toward cultural elements, nationalizing left-wing ideals like liberty and equality but restricting them to 'enlightened' culture while labeling immigrants and Muslims as 'backward' and 'primitive'.
• The rise of populism is partly attributed to a 'post-political' state following 1989, where the ideological polarity between left and right was replaced by technocratic governance and expert administration, leaving a gap that populists filled with cultural and ethnic antagonisms.
• Populism is less about representing the actual will of the people and more about actively shaping the identity of 'the people' and their perceived will through provocation and fixed imagery.
• Progressive and Green parties risk reinforcing the populist divide by either taking a moral high ground that confirms the 'elite' vs 'people' split or by uncritically accepting the populist claim to speak for 'the people'.
• Left-wing parties are encouraged to abandon the populist frame of viewing religion as inherently anti-modernist and instead return to a socio-economic analysis of reality.

APA

Meijers, E. (2012). Where would we be without barbarians? Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/where-would-we-be-without-barbarians/

Chicago

Meijers, Erica. Where would we be without barbarians? Green European Journal, 2012. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/where-would-we-be-without-barbarians/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Meijers |first1=Erica |title=Where would we be without barbarians? |publisher=Green European Journal |date=15 February 2012 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/where-would-we-be-without-barbarians/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{meijers2012where, author = {Meijers, Erica}, title = {{Where would we be without barbarians?}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2012}, month = feb, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/where-would-we-be-without-barbarians/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }