It is genuinely alarming how populism can so easily unmake even politically mature countries. A classic example is the United Kingdom – a nation with deep history, strong institutions, tradition, and (supposedly) robust mechanisms for producing capable leaders.
In the past decade, six different politicians have served as prime minister, and the current one will almost certainly reach his end within the next few months. The healthcare system is under severe strain, while, for the first time in modern British history, the state apparatus – once considered a model for much of the Western world – is visibly weakening.
The British ordeal began, of course, with Brexit, which emerged from legitimate grievances. However, it was also driven by a populist political project. David Cameron opened the door to the madhouse by calling the referendum, while Boris Johnson led his country to disaster, capitalizing on the ensuing backlash and leveraging social media as a powerful tool for manipulating public opinion. Both men were products of the same establishment ecosystem – private education, Oxbridge – that has long shaped Britain’s political elite. Cameron arguably misjudged the electorate’s decision-making capacity, while Johnson embodied the archetype of an elite politician who successfully constructs a populist persona.
