Theological populisms vs. democratic constitutionalism, or democracy's pedagogy and its limits

Abstract

“To be” or “not to survive”, that is –right now– the question of constitutional democracy. Thus, it is not so important to focus on academic discussions about what is the true definition of populism: we are already playing the cards and our democracy is losing important battles. The populist movements are full of absolute truths, volitional theologies, and antagonistic frontiers with existential enemies, but they can also gain elections with simple solutions for our big problems. However, we should resolve our dilemmas and win the war: or, with the democratic constitutionalism, we defend that every power, even the constituent power, is limited for the guarantee of freedoms and inviolable rights of human beings and citizens; or the populism, with its electoral and authoritarian version of democracy (without self-determination on liberty and rejected the international universe of rule of law) will be the grave of this government of the people.