Regionale Entwicklung und Vertrauen brauchen einen sichtbaren Staat vor Ort

Abstract When schools, local authorities, and hospitals close, the state withdraws from these areas. This withdrawal not only costs well-paid jobs and future prospects but also political trust, especially in economically weak regions. In this article, I show that spaces for populists and their narratives open up where public institutions are absent. Maintaining and expanding visible public infrastructure – even against the trend – creates the necessary positive narrative that deprives populism of its breeding ground.