Why political centrists must rediscover their passion

WILLIAM Butler Yeats’ The Second Coming was written as a warning about the state of the world. Although “Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold” has perhaps become the most famous line of his poem, it is two other lines that should concern us all. As an estimated two billion people across the world head to the polls in 2024, Yeats’ warning that “the best lack all conviction” while “the worst are full of passionate intensity” resonates loudly.

Democracies are being torn apart by extremism and polarisation. The gains made by the far-right in the European parliamentary elections in recent days are only the latest sign of the rising dangers of populism. Its impact will continue to be felt across European politics for years to come.

The political discourse pushed by illiberal leaders labels opponents as enemies and traitors. Proponents of illiberal democracy in countries such as Hungary and Turkey systematically undermine the institutions which hold liberal democracy together. The election in Brazil in 2022 left voters a choice between the hard-left politics of Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and the hard-right politics of Jair Bolsanaro. South Africa’s recent election saw the rise of the radical left-wing politics of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the populist left-wing politics of uMkhonto we Sizwe (MK). In response, the moderate centre too often seems to lack the courage of its convictions – and certainly lacks the passion and intensity that drive its more extreme rivals.