The political establishment’s denial in addressing problems
Traditional parties’ elitist attitude and lack of self-criticism has fueled the rise of populists in Europe.
Europe faces a rising wave of terrorism and increasing crime, yet its political elites struggle to address the situation effectively. They often misidentify the root causes – likely due to ideological bias – leading to misguided measures.
Taylor Swift’s concert in Vienna was canceled due to a terrorist threat, and France and Germany imposed disproportionately high security measures for the Olympics and the European soccer championship.
Knife attacks are on the rise in Germany. The government’s “brilliant” solution is to limit the size of the knives people can carry, a move that was immediately criticized by the police as nonsensical and unenforceable. Restricting weapons will not deter criminals from committing crimes.
The real issue is that governments seem overly focused on an exaggerated perception of right-wing violence. They have declared that protest parties – often formed for legitimate reasons – are a threat to democracy. In many European countries, the political establishment has launched a crusade to defend “democracy” against the very population it represents. This is a rather arrogant, elitist approach.
The more the political establishment marginalizes populist parties and denies pressing issues, the stronger these parties become.
For example, Germany’s interior ministry has taken measures that may be unconstitutional. It appears the government has used the Verfassungsschutz (Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution) not only to defend the constitution but also to protect the ruling parties’ image. They proposed measures to prevent the spread of misleading and deceptive content, including disinformation, which go far beyond banning illegal hate speech or incitement to crime. This is clearly censorship.
Federal authorities were to be given powers usually reserved for judges. The government also sought to reintroduce data retention, which the Supreme Court had banned as incompatible with European and German fundamental rights. The police were even to be granted the power to search homes without a court order under the pretext of combating terrorism.
However, the primary target was the perceived threat from the right. The interior ministry also banned a German right-wing magazine. While one may find its content distasteful, it was not illegal. The decision backfired in the courts.
The result is that the more the political establishment marginalizes populist parties and denies pressing issues, the stronger these parties become. The blanket rejection of so-called right-wing groups, combined with the old political parties’ lack of self-criticism, has fueled the success of populists.
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A glaring example is the recent elections in France, where Marine Le Pen’s party the National Rally surged in popularity and received the largest share of votes. Only through a questionable alliance of the extreme and center-left was the left able to secure the majority in the National Assembly.
In Germany, the recent elections in Saxony and Thuringia revealed voters’ complete lack of confidence in the three traditional parties – the Social Democrats, Greens and Liberals – that form the governing coalition in Berlin. Similar situations are emerging in other European countries.
The problem is that political elites see the main danger as coming from the right and ignore the real and fundamental issues in the economy and society that allow populist parties to thrive. Instead of pursuing realistic policies, governments resort to prohibition. Worse, they infringe on fundamental rights and turn legal preventive measures into oppressive actions.
In this context, immigration is a major issue, and unfortunately, it must be acknowledged that a disproportionately high share of crime is committed by immigrants. Authorities are also unable to deal effectively with illegal immigrants or those who blatantly break the law. Finally, excessive bureaucratic standards in labor law and social regulations – the sacred cows of the welfare system – frustrate the integration of well-intentioned immigrants.
It seems that both established politicians and some media outlets hope that by denying these problems, they will simply disappear.
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