Pope Francis deplores state of democracy, warns against ‘populists’

Pontiff warns against ‘ideological temptations and populists’, urges people to move away from ‘polarisations that impoverish’

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Pope Francis attends a meeting with the participants of the 50th Social Week of Catholics in Italy at the Generali Convention Centre in Trieste, northern Italy, on Sunday. Photo: AP

Published: 5:35pm, 7 Jul 2024

Pope Francis decried the state of democracy and warned against “populists” during a short visit to Trieste in Italy’s northeast on Sunday ahead of a 12-day trip to Asia – the longest of his papacy.

“Democracy is not in good health in the world today,” Francis said during a speech at the city’s convention centre to close a national Catholic event.

Without naming any countries, the pope warned against “ideological temptations and populists” on the day that France holds the second round of a snap parliamentary vote that looks set to see the far-right National Rally (RN) party take the largest share of the vote.

“Ideologies are seductive. Some people compare them to the Pied Piper of Hamelin: they seduce but lead you to deny yourself,” he said in reference to the German fairy tale.

Ahead of last month’s European parliament elections, bishops in several countries also warned about the rise of populism and nationalism, with far-right parties already holding the reins of power in Italy, Hungary and the Netherlands.

Pope Francis arrives to lead a mass during a pastoral visit on the occasion of the 50th Social Week of Italian Catholics, on Sunday at Piazza dell’Unita in Trieste, Italy. Photo: AFP

Francis also urged people to “move away from polarisations that impoverish” and hit out at “self-referential power”.