The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) released today a new global report which reveals that members of parliament (MPs) are facing a worrying rise in intimidation and harassment from the public.
When the public turns hostile: Political violence against parliamentarians draws on a broad survey of 519 MPs globally and case studies focused on five countries: Argentina, Benin, Italy, Malaysia and the Netherlands, to reflect diverse political and regional contexts.
MAIN FINDINGS
- Overall, 71% of all respondents, both globally and in the five countries, reported having experienced violence from the public, whether online, offline or both.
- Violence is heavily concentrated online, with between 65% and 77% of MPs in the five countries reporting online abuse.
- The most common forms of public intimidation overall reported by MPs are insults and degrading language, the spread of false or misleading information, and threats.
- Most respondents believe that the situation is deteriorating. In Argentina and the Netherlands, 8 out of 10 MPs reported an increase in violence over the past five years.
- Online violence is frequently triggered by elections, high-profile legislative debates or polarizing political or cultural issues.
- Women are more affected than men: 76% of women MPs across the case studies reported exposure to violence, compared to 68% of men.
- Women are disproportionately affected by gendered and sexualized forms of violence, especially online.
- MPs who belong to minority or disadvantaged groups – including racial minorities, people with disabilities and LGBTQIA+ communities – face even greater exposure to online violence.
REASONS FOR THE INCREASE
The IPU report attributes the surge in public hostility to the rise of political polarization, economic and social pressures that fuel frustration, the amplification of anger through social media, and declining trust in public institutions.
WHO ARE THE PERPETRATORS?
Violence against MPs is primarily perpetrated by individuals rather than organized groups.
Online, anonymous users are identified as perpetrators by around 9 out of 10 MPs in Argentina, Italy, Malaysia and the Netherlands (89–93%).
IMPACT ON DEMOCRACY
The IPU warns that intimidation of MPs by the public can have serious consequences for democracy.
With the increase in hostility, many MPs report self-censorship, avoid some public appearances, experience negative side effects for their family members, and sometimes quit or decline to run again in elections.
According to the report, over time, this can corrode democratic representation, discourage diversity and weaken parliaments as democratic institutions.
The report calls on political and parliamentary leadership to set boundaries when it comes to acceptable public discourse and to ensure that intimidation does not succeed in silencing dissenting and minority voices.
