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Whatever wisdom Harper can espouse will emerge as Western democracies continue to see the proliferation of populist movements.

It was during an appearance in Ottawa before the 2016 election that former U.S. president Barack Obama quibbled with modern definitions of “populism,” suggesting in a thinly-veiled criticism of then-Republican candidate Donald Trump that people were using the word indiscriminately.

“They don’t suddenly become a populist because they say something controversial in order to win votes. That’s not the measure of populism. That’s nativism, or xenophobia. Or worse. Or it’s just cynicism,” he had said.

Nonetheless, the word “populism” is what many modern leaders — including Liberal Prime Minister Justin Trudeau — have seized upon to describe popular movements such as the rise of now-President Trump and Brexit, the United Kingdom’s decision to leave the European Union. It is the concept of “populism” that Trudeau has said he is fighting against by promoting international trade and multilateralism.

Although Harper has rarely spoken publicly since his defeat in 2015, he has occasionally made his views known.

In a New York Times full-page ad this week, Harper and other former politicians praised Trump for his decision to exit a nuclear deal with Iran. “Mr. President, you are right about Iran,” said the ad, also signed by former foreign minister John Baird. The current government disagrees, with Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland saying she supported the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action with Iran and regretted Trump’s decision.

In addition to running his consulting company Harper & Associates out of the Calgary office of Dentons law firm, Harper took on the chairmanship of the International Democrat Union this February — an international alliance that states as its goal “to promote democracy and centre-right policies around the globe.” Members include the U.S. Republican Party and the U.K. Conservative Party, among others.