from “Populism: A Very Short Introduction (Very Short Introductions)” by Cas Mudde, Cristobal Rovira Kaltwasser

“In fact, elites have used the growing influence of unelected bodies and technocratic institutions to depoliticize contested political issues, like austerity and immigration, and so minimize the risk of electoral defeat. No better example of this can be cited than the EU, an organization that was consciously constructed to delegate power to institutions that are unelected and therefore largely insulated from popular pressures. It is no wonder, then, that “democratic deficit” has become almost synonymous with the European Union (EU) and that populists are increasingly Euroskeptic. They accuse the national and European elites of having created an all-powerful supranational organization that promotes (neo) liberalism at the expense and against the wishes of the people.”

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