Cosmopolitan Democracy Revisited in a World of Rising Populism, Deepening Polarization and Rampant Neoliberalism

Executive Summary

Borders are being consolidated geographically, politically, and socially. Rising right-wing populism taps into and feeds increasing fears of the “Other” using a powerful discourse of “us versus them.” The influx of refugees into the EU, arguably the most cosmopolitan political project, as a result of war in the Middle East presents a context in which populism can gain ground, making the adoption of a collective humanitarian solution to the issue increasingly improbable.

The ideas of participatory democracy and pluralism are eclipsed by the democratic deficit characterized by a growing distance between decision-makers and their electoral bases, polarization, and the increasing power of authoritarian tendencies in various geographies (e.g., in India, Hungary, Brazil, Turkey, China, Russia).

Neoliberalism erodes spheres of solidarity and democratic engagement through the commodification of the commons. In short, increasing populism, extremism, authoritarianism, and the commodification of the commons weaken the loosely defined values cultivated by cosmopolitan democracy such as difference, diversity, and participation on the basis of recognition of rights of individuals by virtue of their humanity.

The two major responses to dealing with diversity—assimilation and multiculturalism—have failed. The former generates injustice and violence and cannot hold together increasingly plural and transnational societies. The latter emphasizes cultural belonging but cannot really address interaction between different groups.