Un prince et une chaussure : où est-elle la princesse ? Le « complexe de Cendrillon » dans la science politique cinquante ans après

Fifty years later, the concept of populism is still plagued by the disorder that Isaiah Berlin labelled as the “Cinderella complex”, meaning there is a shoe, the shape of populism, but no foot to fit it or almost none. In order to go beyond this ironic situation, the analysis claims it is necessary to avoid seeing populism as a form of ideology characterized by a certain degree of internal coherence. Similarly, it considers it is necessary to avoid reducing populism to a simple rhetorical and demagogic style every political actor can use according to his/her needs. If we adopt a comparative perspective, take into account the populism’s most recent manifestations and search for their lowest common denominator, we can identify the elements of a psychological predisposition that, in line with Theodor Geiger and Juan Linz, can be considered the basis of a characteristic mentality. Within this context, this article aims to identify the specific elements belonging to this mentality and to include them in a definition able to cover the multiplicity of meanings given to the word “people”. Finally yet importantly, this definition aims to shed light on the nature of the relationship between populism and democracy.