As part of its ongoing seminar series, the Albert Hirschman Centre on Democracy hosted a discussion on a timely question: why does populism keep winning, even as new participatory tools emerge?

Drawing on her latest research, Yanina Welp examined the rise of mini-publics as a response to the crisis of democracy. While these citizen assemblies promise more inclusive and thoughtful participation, their real-world impact remains limited. Questions of legitimacy, influence, and scalability continue to shape how far their recommendations can go.

The conversation quickly moved beyond participation to the deeper issue of collective political agency. Unlike mini-publics, populist movements mobilize at scale and create a sense of direct power, which helps explain their continued appeal.

Participants also pointed to persistently low trust in political parties and stressed the need to strengthen political organizations from within. More internal democracy and clearer channels for engagement were seen as essential to rebuilding trust.

The discussion left a clear takeaway. Democratic innovation cannot rely on participation alone. To counter the appeal of populism, institutions must be able to turn engagement into real political power.