Impunity for Authoritarians Fuels Political Violence
The driving force behind the rise of political violence is not criticism of dangerous populists but rather the failure of liberal democracies to address accusations of criminality against them in a timely manner. To protect democracy, authoritarians must be held accountable in a court of law, not just in the court of public opinion.
VIENNA – The shooting of former US President Donald Trump was the second assassination attempt on a populist political leader this year. Just two months ago, Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico was seriously injured after being shot four times at close range, highlighting the danger posed by the resurgence of political violence around the world.