Since the joint publication of Hegemony and Socialist Strategy the theory of Ernesto Laclau and Chantal Mouffe is generally received as a collaborative and symbiotic unity. However, this impression ignores the fact that the authors have drifted apart in both thematic and conceptual terms. Whereas Mouffe develops a normative theory of democracy which engages with pluralism and agonistic conlict, Laclau conines himself to the continuation of his political ontology eluding the ethico-political dimension of his work. This re-assessment highlights varieties of political conclusions drawn from postfoundationalist political thought. The analysis of the latent tension between Mouffe and Laclau then sheds light on the relationship between populism and democracy.