Last date for submission of paper: unknown; Contact person: unknown; How does populism erode democracy, and where does it come from? Populist parties have surged in support, and several have entered governments in Europe. In some cases, this has meant the erosion of the rule of law and liberal democratic institutions, the undermining of informal democratic values, and the divisive politics of national identity and belonging. Ironically, the causes of the populist upsurge lie in the earlier economic and political successes, especially in the younger European democracies.