Remus Ștefureac: There is no greater enemy of populism than to put it to work from the ground up.

Political leaders can influence voters, but only to a limited extent. Correlating the different structure of the electorates of AUR and PSD, the narratives from the last two years that have strengthened their loyalty to the parties in a context of hostility and the enormous economic and social pressures that cannot be smoothed over with populist slogans, I tend to believe that the inevitable alliance between PSD and AUR will bring electoral harm to both parties.

However, both parties have the democratic right to carve their own path. And a clarity and separation of waters in our political life, even if it entails some momentary costs, I believe is better for the optimal functioning of our democratic system and for avoiding systemic risks.

More than half of the voters (those who currently choose AUR and PSD) feel today unrepresented in decision-making, and the danger that they may slide towards ultra-populist and ultra-radical formulas is real. Thus, we will have the opportunity to see populism at work in the form of a system-anti-system marriage. It is a shock therapy, but perhaps this is exactly what a majority of the impoverished and vulnerable population needs against disinformation and professional demagogy.

There is no greater enemy of extreme populism than putting it to work from the ground up. And to demand concrete results: higher incomes for the population, jobs, lower taxes, and all that comes with milk and honey.