Europe’s political mainstream excels in speaking at length without saying anything new. It announces initiatives and reassures the public while the people feel the ground shifting beneath them. As a result, the language of moderation, spoken in terms like ‘process’ and ‘balance’, no longer carry much weight. In a moment that demands conviction, our politics sound tired.

‘Mainstream’ once meant reliability and honesty; today it is seen as outdated and out of touch. The mainstream has lost its vitality, yet it’s still what governs us.

What we’re living through is not simply a populist surge but a deeper political rupture. Across democracies, citizens are rejecting systems that feel frozen while the world moves forward at a fast pace. In these times, the appeal of disruption lies less in ideology than a desire for change amidst what feels like stagnation.

Even when democracy delivers, it fails to feel like progress. Trump’s victories, Brexit, and the churn across French and German politics aren’t so much votes for chaos as they are indictments of the status quo. Citizens crave urgent change while their political systems respond incrementally. In that gap, disruption looks more promising while stability feels like indifference.

This is not just a mood, it’s measurable. The Munich Security Report’s 2026 survey found that across every G7 democracy, only a sliver of citizens believe their government is improving life for the next generation.

It’s not hard to see why. What passes for political response often feels insulting. Banning plastic straws or using less energy in the home may soothe consciences, but they do little against planetary-scale crises. Citizens are told to “do their part” while those insulated from consequence continue to board private jets or build giant data centres that devour a larger share of electricity. This is not concrete action but theatre; trickle-down solutions where small sacrifices from the many preserve indulgences for the few.

In an era of collapsing certainties and global power shifts, the language of sovereignty has been claimed by the right because it speaks to something very real; the loss of agency in a system that feels distant and unresponsive. “Take back control” resonates not as a call to shared responsibility but as a weapon against government itself. Yet sovereignty shouldn’t just belong to anti-state crusaders – it belongs to citizens as co-owners of democracy. People need to see and feel their political, economic, and civic choices carry real weight. Right now, they often don’t.

What would reclaiming democracy look like? Firstly, strip politics of its dead language. Citizens deserve clarity, not platitudes. Leaders who speak directly, even imperfectly, command more trust than those who hide behind platitudes and process-talk.

Secondly, we need new channels of participation that match the complexity of our times. Citizens’ assemblies, digital forums, and participatory budgeting should be routine, not experimental. This was the spirit of the demos in ancient Greece: that democracy means being a participant, not a spectator. And time and again, when people are trusted with real decision-making power, they rise to the occasion.

Thirdly, solutions must match the scale of the crises. Climate, inequality, and security are not problems to be solved with cosmetic solutions like banning straws. They require structural shifts to rethink energy, reshape economies, and redistribute power. Symbolic gestures may look good on camera, but only systemic reform can bring meaningful change.

Finally, sovereignty must be reclaimed for citizens. That means seeing ourselves not just as voters once every few years but as active participants in shaping our societies every day. The choices we make about what to consume, how we work, and how we organise are part of democratic life, not just private acts.

Europe doesn’t suffer from a shortage of ideas. It suffers from a refusal to recognise the scale of the moment we’re in. Until citizens are invited back in as genuine partners, democracy will keep losing ground, and extremists will continue to look like the only ones willing to break stale patterns. Democracy will be renewed when citizens feel the system can still make decisive and visible changes on their behalf.

Until the mainstream reclaims a bias for action combined with the language of agency, ambition, and shared power, it will continue to lose ground in a world that is anything but.