Dominique Moïsi on fearful Europe

Dominique Moïsi, professor of political science at Harvard University, writes in the left-liberal weekly Heti Világgazdaság about the interplay between identity and fear: "More than ever before in recent decades, fear is becoming the dominant force in European politics. And it is not an abstract, undefined fear: it is above all the fear of the non-European 'other,' perceived by a growing numbers of 'white' Europeans as a threat to our European identities and ways of life, if not our physical security and jobs. The issues of Islam and immigration stand at the very center of these debates. ... Globalization and the frustration accompanying it lead many to a jittery search for self-worth. And the less convinced people are about their future, the more they tend to focus on their identity in a negative, defensive manner. If you lack confidence in your ability to surmount the challenges of modernization, you might as well retreat into yourself and focus on who you are, rather than on what you want to achieve with others."

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