Liberalism is being replaced by Christian democracy

The argument

At the moment economically progressive policies such as medicare for all, the green new deal, and taxing the rich at higher rates are overwhelming popular within the United States. This trend follows around the world. Yet at the same time socially conservative outlooks are also on the rise. Christian democracy is an ideology that balances both of these outlooks and as such may take the place of traditional liberal politics.

Context

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said in a speech in July 2018 that the generation of the post-communist '90s is replacing the generation of '68 and that its values are those of Christian democracy. He said Christian democracy is not compatible with the key tenets of liberalism and therefore should be considered 'illiberal.'

Premises

Counter-arguments

Christian democracy is still fundamentally liberal as it balances representative democracy with a capitalist economic system

Rejecting the premises

[Rejecting P1] Popularity is asserted without polling or figures, and support for particular policies is not the same as support for a political programme, still less evidence of a shift in the underlying tradition. [Rejecting P2] Both trends are stated without evidence and, as described, pull against one another. The argument does not show they are held by the same people, which is what a single replacing ideology would require. [Rejecting P3] Christian democracy is a long-established European tradition rather than a new arrival, and as the counter-argument notes it operates within representative democracy and a market economy — which makes it a variant within the liberal settlement rather than its replacement.