In his 4th annual report on the state of democracy, human rights and the rule of law in Europe, Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland, invites Council of Europe member states to take a serious look in the mirror and take the lead in building trusted institutions and inclusive societies able to withstand populist assaults.

Defining populism as anti-pluralist, anti-democratic rhetoric and policies, Mr Jagland looks at how this tendency threatens democratic institutions and culture. He assesses how resilient member states’ institutions are against populist attack, and asks, how strong are our checks and balances. The report also offers recommendations for action in addressing the populism threat.

The World Forum for Democracy 2017 “Is populism a problem?” will contribute to addressing this global challenge, offering concrete solutions to enhance democratic practices and helping parties and media, but also other political actors, to re-connect to citizens, make informed choices and function optimally in 21st century democracy.