Main focus of Wednesday, July 5, 2006

Populism in Europe

Like Poland, Slovakia now has populist parties in its government. The Western European press explores the reasons for this new trend in post-communist Eastern Europe.

El País - Spain

Editorialist Hermann Tertsch recalls that less than 10 years ago, Europe did not shy away from expressing its indignation over the Austrian People's Party's worrying alliance with the Freedom Party of Jorg Haider, an extreme-right demagogue." But later, "the EU said nothing when Berlusconi formed a government with post-fascists. Alliances that would have stunned us just a short time ago, are multiplying. In Poland, the party of the Kaczynski brothers has allied itself with extremists. The country's polarisation is growing from day to day. The coalition openly governs in defiance of the will of the liberal half of Polish society, it encourages a narrow-minded spirit of revenge and characterises all those who dare to criticise, as communists. This is happening in Poland, a country the same size as Spain and which experienced a political transition similar to ours." (05/07/2006)

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All available articles from » Hermann Tertsch

La Libre Belgique - Belgium

"While the extreme right is hardly absent from Western Europe - and from Belgium - populists have gained ground in a Central Europe in the midst of economic catch-up by whetting a national pride that one criticises at one's own risk, and by promising more jobs, more money and fewer liberal reforms," reports Sabine Verherst a day after nationalists and members of the extreme right joined the Slovak government. "This situation reflects the fear of new and painful reforms in societies that have been in constant transformation for the past 17 years. Even if the region remains open to changes, there is no shortage of those ready to denounce 'lumpen-liberalism' (an expression of the Polish Kaczynski twins), elites who have grown rich overnight, or foreign hypermarkets that kill off small business." (05/07/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Eastern Europe
All available articles from » Sabine Verhest

L'Espresso - Italy

Poland, which fell last year into the populist hands of the Kaczynski twin brothers, both ultraconservative Catholics, has taken a great leap backwards. Polish writer Andrzej Stasiuk says the Middle Ages have come to power in Warsaw. "In recent months, the entire Polish political reality has become very anachronistic. The ideas of the Kaczynski brothers on how to govern are limited to amassing as much power as they can for themselves ... What is most striking in their thinking is the absence of contemporary problems such as European integration and globalisation. To them, Poland is a solitary island surrounded by foreign and enemy elements." (05/07/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Religion, » Weltanschauung, » Poland
All available articles from » Andrzej Stasiuk

Die Presse - Austria

In a guest commentary laced heavily with sarcasm, journalist Sibylle Hamann makes a direct address to Austria's Social Democrats. "Smer, a populist party that call themselves social democrats, won the Slovak elections because it successfully attracted the support of the losers of modernisation, the fearful and the angry. That's a legitimate strategy. These fishing grounds are muddy, but there's plenty of fish to be caught. Here, the border between left and right becomes blurred…Many of Europe's social democratic parties use the same tactics as Slovakia's Social Democrats. Yet 'Smer' means direction, and to know where you're heading you have to at least have a vague idea of where you are. Do you, my dear Social Democrats, still know where you are? If so, then would you please give your colleagues in Bratislava a few tips? After all, what are friends for!" (05/07/2006)

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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Slovakia
All available articles from » Sibylle Hamann

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