Преграда ли е консоциативната демокрация срещу популизма на Балканите?
Is consociational democracy a barrier against populism in the Balkans?

Author(s): Nikolay Krastev
Subject(s): Politics / Political Sciences, Politics, Social Sciences, Political Theory, Governance, Sociology, Government/Political systems, Political behavior, Politics and society, Sociology of Politics
Published by: Университет за национално и световно стопанство (УНСС)
Keywords: consociational democracy; elites; populism; Balkans
Summary/Abstract: Over the past two decades, populism has become one of the most discussed challenges to liberal democracy. It thrives on polarization, distrust of elites, and the opposition of the “pure people” against the “corrupt elite” (Mudde, 2017). At the same time, some democratic systems seem to be more resilient to populist waves. Among them, consociational democracy – defined by Arend Lijphart (1977) – represents an interesting case, as it is being tried in the Balkans. Consociational democracy is based on cooperation between elites, proportionality, and the inclusion of different segments of society in governance. This paper examines whether the consociational model can act as a barrier against populism based on examples from two Balkan consociations – North Macedonia and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Our main thesis is that while this model limits populist mobilization through inclusion and compromise, its elitist and overly institutionalized character can paradoxically fuel a populist backlash.

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