The promise of centrism in a polarised world
A centrist politics of hope infused with empathy and pragmatism would represent a dramatic break from the current direction of global politics – and is the best alternative to the spectre of fear and alienation being peddled by populists
LONDON – Confronted with populists of the right and left in a year when countries accounting for roughly half the global population will hold elections, centrist politicians are very much on the defensive. Can they mount a comeback? Can centrism offer coherent answers to the variety and complexity of challenges around the world? Is there a brand of political centrism that works in Latin America and North America, in Europe and Asia, and in Africa and in Australia?
A new book (to which we both contributed) offers some answers.
Centrism consists of an unflinching commitment to certain core values: individual rights, liberal democracy, cultural pluralism, and equality of opportunity. These fundamental principles have connected centrist thinkers and leaders everywhere for at least 40 years – from the “Third Way” of former US President Bill Clinton and former UK Prime Minister Tony Blair to contemporary centrists like French President Emmanuel Macron and former Israeli Prime Minister Yair Lapid.
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