Book Talk at CEU DI: Ihsan Yilmaz and Fizza Batool: Populist Identification in Public Discourse. Pakistanis Constructing Pakistaniat

The CEU Democracy Institute’s De- and Re-Democratization (DRD) Workgroup discussed a book by Ihsan Yilmaz and Fizza Batool in the latest event organized in  its popular series “Illuminating Books on Democracy and Authoritarianism.”

The book, Populist Identification in Public Discourse. Pakistanis Constructing Pakistaniat (Palgrave Macmillan 2025) was presented by Fizza Batool, our Global Forum Fellow. Based on semi-structured interviews with ordinary citizens in Pakistan, it analyzes the complex relationship between populism, political identity, and historical experiences in Pakistan, highlighting how populist discourse influences and is influenced by varied interpretations of Pakistaniat – the identification with Pakistan. It introduces a novel theoretical framework for analysing populism in the public sphere, using Laclau’s view of populism as a discursive logic and Panizza’s definition as a mode of identification. This connection allows for a deeper understanding of how populist constructs form a collective identity amidst diverse demands, particularly through the concept of “the people” as an empty signifier. The book also examines the multiple meanings associated with Pakistani identity and their ties to the rise of populism, addressing gaps in existing literature regarding the demand side of populism and its impact on both politicians and the public.

Comments were given by Kirk Hawkins, one of our conveners in the Global Forum project, and Andreas Schedler, the Lead Researcher of the DRD Workgroup. The discussion was moderated by our Global Forum Fellow and RevDem editor Ebru Ece Ozbey.