Populist Use of Memory and Constitutionalism: Two Comments – I

Abstract

The reasons for the recent rise of Eastern European populism constitute a puzzling issue in political and scientific discussions. As Paul Blokker shows, Eastern European populism can neither be seen as a mere reaction to communism, nor as the “natural” consequence of the transition from a socialist economy to a liberal market model of production. Nor is populism just another form of ethnic nationalism, developed in Eastern Europe and juxtaposed to civic nationalism. The strong dichotomy between an ethnocultural and exclusive nationalism and a civic and inclusive nationalism does not exist in these terms and is the product of a scientific bias, and not a product of empirical observation.

Populism and Memory: Legislation of the Past in Poland, Ukraine, and Russia

“…13 Scholars have paid relatively little attention to the national populists' politics of history, although it is sometimes argued that "populism is about constructing and using a past." 14 Some theories of populism do indeed supply important premises for the further development of this approach. In fact, since the concept of a "people" and the sense of belonging to a (national) community are fundamental for populists, "it can be argued that constructing a 'people' requires .…”