Populism has many faces, but its pattern is always the same. Whether it's coming from Donald Trump in the US, Narendra Modi in India or from Björn Höcke and Germany's Alternative for Germany (AfD) it is always about supposed elites who have conspired against the people.

These elites are then cast the "enemies of the people" in a "them versus us" mentality.

And whether it's the climate crisis, conflict, or rapid social change, populist movements always promise salvation to an uncertain public. Populists present themselves as strong, charismatic leaders who will fix everything. And when law enforcement or the courts come for them, those institutions become "the enemies of the people" too.

Höcke, the state chairman of the AfD branch in Germany's eastern state of Thuringia, has also flirted with presenting himself as the supposed savior of the country.

"I am convinced that the Germans' longing for a historical figure who will once again heal the wounds of the nation, overcome division and put things in order is deeply rooted in our souls," he wrote in his book Never Twice in the Same River.

Höcke is alluding to a far-right propaganda video that depicts him as the 12th-century Holy Roman Emperor Barbarossa. According to an old legend, Barbarossa, who is known for making peace across the Germanic kingdoms and beyond, is not dead but only sleeping and will wake up again to unite his loyal followers.

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