The ‘Bour Li Dehors’ Case Study: An Analysis of the Rise of Extreme Populism Within Mauritian Modern Politics

The 2024 general election in Mauritius marked another historic moment in the country’s political history with a crushing victory of the opposition coalition sweeping every parliamentary seats. Mauritian politics is at a crossroad where traditional and modern mechanisms coexist together, bridging the divide between the political elite and the everyday struggles. Observations can be made about the rise of extreme populism as a result of growing dissatisfaction of the previous government and rising cost of living. For over a decade now, Mauritian politics has undertaken a new path, more of a marketing stunt than a political campaign, with slogans such as “viré mam” in 2014 or the more recent “bour li dehors” in 2024. Through an analysis of the country’s political history and the evolution of politics, this paper draws from sociological and political theories to understand and critically analyse how Mauritian politics has evolved to align itself with the changing Mauritian landscape. From an analysis of the Mauritian political system and its evolution throughout time, to the involvement of mass media and technology, this paper further depicts how Mauritian politics is being shaped by the silent mass, reclaiming and disrupting the traditional way of doing politics. Consequently, this paper aims at setting the scene for further research about the evolution of politics in the 21st century where the gap between traditional politics and the social empowerment is being bridged by the advent of technology.