A Danger or a Chance?
The European press has identified populist tendencies of various kinds in almost all EU countries. What do they have in common?
euro|topics dossiers
Main focus of Monday, 16. October 2006
Bulgaria's presidential elections take place on October 22. President Georgi Parvanov, who has earned international respect for his commitment to Bulgaria joining the EU, has ... » more
Bulgaria's presidential elections take place on October 22. President Georgi Parvanov, who has earned international respect for his commitment to Bulgaria joining the EU, has good chances of being re-elected. However, there have been shifts in Bulgaria's political landscape in the run-up to its EU accession on January 1, 2007, and here too, as in other Eastern European countries, populism is on the rise.
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Bulgaria
All available articles from » Martin Woker
Main focus of Monday, 9. October 2006
The Belgian municipal elections of Sunday, October 8th represented a test vote for the Flemish far right, the Vlaams Belang. In the end it did ... » more
The Belgian municipal elections of Sunday, October 8th represented a test vote for the Flemish far right, the Vlaams Belang. In the end it did not manage to conquer the town hall of Anvers with 33 percent of the vote, because the Socialist Party won 35 percent. But compared to earlier elections Vlaams Belang did register better results in several communes of the Flanders region.
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Belgium
Main focus of Friday, 29. September 2006
As the European Union is getting ready to welcome Romania and Bulgaria, several countries of the former Soviet block are going through a period of ... » more
As the European Union is getting ready to welcome Romania and Bulgaria, several countries of the former Soviet block are going through a period of instability marked by political crisis, an electoral paralysis and certain populist and xenophobic straying. The opinion of the press ranges between worry and reassurance.
More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » EU Policy, » Central Europe
Main focus of Friday, 30. June 2006
Europe's newspapers watch with concern as, after Poland, another East European country sees the formation of a populist government. The Social Democratic Smer party led ... » more
Europe's newspapers watch with concern as, after Poland, another East European country sees the formation of a populist government. The Social Democratic Smer party led by Robert Fico, the HSDZ party led by former Prime Minister Vladimir Meciar and the right-wing extremist Nation Party (SNS) have agreed to form a coalition. The reformists led by Mikulas Dzurinda have been left out in the cold. Does this mean a return to the isolation of the past for Slovakia?
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Eastern Europe
Main focus of Wednesday, 5. July 2006
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. » more
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.
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Eastern Europe
Main focus of Thursday, 11. May 2006
Europe is looking for answers to the question of how radical forces managed to get into the Polish government. Which specifically Polish experiences have made ... » more
Europe is looking for answers to the question of how radical forces managed to get into the Polish government. Which specifically Polish experiences have made populism and anti-Semitism socially acceptable there? And is the country's democratic order at stake?
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Poland
Main focus of Wednesday, 12. April 2006
Romano Prodi's centre-left coalition eked out the narrowest of victories against Silvio Berlusconi's camp in legislative elections, claiming a razor-thin majority in the Senate of ... » more
Romano Prodi's centre-left coalition eked out the narrowest of victories against Silvio Berlusconi's camp in legislative elections, claiming a razor-thin majority in the Senate of 158 seats to 156. Several European newspapers point to a similarity between this electoral scenario and the political situation in other European countries.
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Italy
Main focus of Friday, 17. February 2006
By a large majority, the European Parliament adopted on Thursday, February 16 the so-called 'Bolkestein' directive aimed at liberalising the Union's services market. The original ... » more
By a large majority, the European Parliament adopted on Thursday, February 16 the so-called 'Bolkestein' directive aimed at liberalising the Union's services market. The original text, which sparked widespread protests last year, had been considerably rewritten in order to find a compromise. It now lies with the European Commission to come up with a new version of the directive based on the guidelines set out by the MEPs. But not everyone in Europe is satisifed with the results so far.
More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Europe
Main focus of Friday, 23. December 2005
Following his election victory two months ago, the conservative politician Lech Kaczynski is to be sworn in as Polish President today. At the same time, ... » more
Following his election victory two months ago, the conservative politician Lech Kaczynski is to be sworn in as Polish President today. At the same time, the popular Aleksander Kwasniewski is retiring from political life. A time of great political and social change is coming in Poland.
More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Poland
Opinions on populism
Süddeutsche Zeitung - Germany | Tuesday, 9. October 2007
The election campaign in Switzerland prompts Joseph Hanimann to reflect on how the populism of the Swiss People's Party (SVP) and its top candidate Christoph Blocher differs from that of other countries: » more
The election campaign in Switzerland prompts Joseph Hanimann to reflect on how the populism of the Swiss People's Party (SVP) and its top candidate Christoph Blocher differs from that of other countries: "While populism in other European countries appears rigid, belligerent, bitter and vulgar, the populism of Christoph Blocher and his SVP has a surprisingly professional and rational air about it that makes it particularly disturbing... Unlike Le Pen's Front National in France or the northern Italian or Flemish regionalists, the Polish nationalists or Haider's liberal patriots and other fundamentalist European movements against globalisation, the SVP has no need for aggressive slogans, deliberate provocations or sacred principles and instead always sounds somewhat too low-key. And precisely this quality makes it more audible than its sister parties and prompts moderate reactions even from its opponents in the name of common sense."
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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Social movements, » Switzerland, » Europe
All available articles from » Joseph Hanimann
Open Democracy - United Kingdom | Monday, 17. September 2007
Olaf Cramme is director of the progressive think tank Policy Network. He considers that "Current EU management thwarts the idea of European citizenship, a concept ... » more
Olaf Cramme is director of the progressive think tank Policy Network. He considers that "Current EU management thwarts the idea of European citizenship, a concept which demands that individuals must feel that they understand and share ownership of the core mechanism of their society. ... This, in turn, requires that citizens come to see political leadership as the ultimate expression of their belief in the reality of choice and change. Technocratic dominance and management of Europe, in contrast, proclaims the inevitability of developments and their dynamics - and in doing so serves to drive individuals away from citizenship and, eventually, from the very idea of EU integration. Worse, the absence of choice magnifies the feelings of insecurity, leading to a political arena where false populism appears more and more tempting. The rise of demagogues across the European Union, and from different parts of the political spectrum, exemplifies this."
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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Europe
All available articles from » Olaf Cramme
L'Hebdo - Switzerland | Friday, 15. June 2007
In an interview conducted by Yves Steiner, historian Jacques Rupnik analyses the political evolution of the eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004. "There is a paradox. The transition towards democracy and the market economy is a veritable success. The population's quality of life rose before and after joining the EU. But at the same time, a rejection of the elites is establishing itself. It's a rejection of those who orchestrated the entry into the EU, from Poland to Hungary, via the former Czechoslovakia. ... This stays inline with a new political situation, characterised by polarisation and a push toward populism. These populist currents criticise the consensus that animated all the governments, on the right and the left, since 1989: » more
In an interview conducted by Yves Steiner, historian Jacques Rupnik analyses the political evolution of the eastern European countries that joined the EU in 2004. "There is a paradox. The transition towards democracy and the market economy is a veritable success. The population's quality of life rose before and after joining the EU. But at the same time, a rejection of the elites is establishing itself. It's a rejection of those who orchestrated the entry into the EU, from Poland to Hungary, via the former Czechoslovakia. ... This stays inline with a new political situation, characterised by polarisation and a push toward populism. These populist currents criticise the consensus that animated all the governments, on the right and the left, since 1989: adhesion to a market economy, development of the rule of law and the adhesion to NATO and the EU. By attacking this, we are setting upon the post-communist legacy, not the communist one".
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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Eastern Europe
All available articles from » Jacques Rupnik, » Yves Steiner
Le Temps - Switzerland | Monday, 11. December 2006
"Our democracies are showing us the spectacle of a new relation between opinion and power. The press, polls and daily news commentary all favour conventional ... » more
"Our democracies are showing us the spectacle of a new relation between opinion and power. The press, polls and daily news commentary all favour conventional opinion", notes the French writer and jurist Michel Guénaire, observing the beginning of the French electoral campaign. According to him, opinion "is becoming an implicit obligation of thought. ... The democracy of opinion is not a real democracy. It leads to a demagogical democracy, which leads to a populist democracy. Opinion is against democracy. Maybe our new candidates wish to reconcile the masses with institutions through democracy of opinion. If this is so, they are mistaken, because the masses want authorities who define a project beyond their feelings. Maybe they no longer know any more than what the polls say. In that case they should give up the exercise of public responsibilities."
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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » France
Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung - Germany | Friday, 20. October 2006
The paper's Czech correspondent Karl-Peter Schwarz analyses the rise of populism in Central and Eastern Europe. "The rise of the populists and their failure to fulfil their campaign pledges have the same root cause: » more
The paper's Czech correspondent Karl-Peter Schwarz analyses the rise of populism in Central and Eastern Europe. "The rise of the populists and their failure to fulfil their campaign pledges have the same root cause: governments must respond to the demands of the single market and the pressures of globalisation, and this pressure is bringing populists into power. It is not only the new EU members that are facing this problem. In virtually every EU state there is a deep rift between voters. It polarises entire societies, as in Italy, or hinders the building of a majority with a sufficiently coherent programme, as is the case in Germany and Austria. This in turn leads to the formation of grand coalitions that have only limited ability to find solutions... Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland and Slovakia are not post-communist exceptions to the rule. They are battling with the same problems of political stagnation that plague the EU as a whole."
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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Demographics, » Central Europe, » Eastern Europe
All available articles from » Karl-Peter Schwarz
Magyar Hírlap - Hungary | Thursday, 5. October 2006
In an interview with Zsolt Ivan Nagy, Adam Michnik, editor-in-chief of the Polish daily 'Gazeta Wyborcza' takes stock of developments over the past 15 years. ... » more
In an interview with Zsolt Ivan Nagy, Adam Michnik, editor-in-chief of the Polish daily 'Gazeta Wyborcza' takes stock of developments over the past 15 years. "There were things that were beyond our control and we have failed in our attempts to convince society that the great danger now lies in the new wave of populism. Populism can manifest itself in the guise of post-communism or anti-communism. Resolute anti-communist populists sometimes join forces with post-communist populists, as was the case recently in Poland. This is a bad time for the entire Visegrad region [a group whose members are Poland, Hungary, Slovakia and Czech Republic]. We must make a clear diagnosis and look for a new way to convince our societies of the deceitfulness of populism. The task of convincing people of this can only be undertaken by intellectuals."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Domestic Policy, » Central Europe
All available articles from » Zsolt Ivan Nagy
Der Standard - Austria | Thursday, 5. October 2006
"Populists are a pretty much indispensable part of democracy in their role as seismographs," writes Austrian journalist Josef Kirchengast commenting on the success of populists ... » more
"Populists are a pretty much indispensable part of democracy in their role as seismographs," writes Austrian journalist Josef Kirchengast commenting on the success of populists in Eastern and Western Europe. "Not only do they expose existing problems – by exaggerating them – but they also expose the fundamental shortcomings of a democracy, in particular an unbalanced relationship between citizens and their representatives. This is why European democracies in both the East and the West are having such a hard time dealing with populists. In western Europe the growing problem of immigration and integration is fuelling the success of populist groups and politicians; in Eastern Europe it's mainly the economic and social consequences of the transformation following the collapse of communism. The problems are different but the approaches to dealing with populism are similar. Marginalisation, inclusion, or the adoption of similar content – these are the main tactics used regarding populist movements. Sometimes they overlap, but what they all have in common is that they have only been marginally successful and sometimes even counterproductive."
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All available articles from » Josef Kirchengast
Dziennik Gazeta Prawna - Poland | Saturday, 30. September 2006
"It would be false to claim that the political culture of Western Europe is irreconcilable with that of Eastern Europe," British sociologist Frank Furedi stresses ... » more
"It would be false to claim that the political culture of Western Europe is irreconcilable with that of Eastern Europe," British sociologist Frank Furedi stresses in the newspaper's Europe magazine. He points out that in both Eastern and Western Europe not all citizens endorse the EU's philosophy of a multicultural society. "It's not just in Poland and Slovakia that there are right-wing extremist and populist parties. The right-wing extremist NPD registered a major success in the state elections in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania, and there are large bases of support for right-wing nationalist parties in Belgium and even in France... The reason why European bureaucracy reacts so sensitively to Eastern European populism is because it expresses values that also exist in Western Europe, albeit in a more civilised form. The EU feels safer confronting nationalist and populist forces in Bratislava than in 'old' Europe because it's easier to discredit the former owing to their ties with right-wing xenophobes."
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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Europe
Les Echos - France | Monday, 4. September 2006
In an article published by Project Syndicate, sociologist Ralf Dahrendorf expresses his view that populism's success can be explained by a crisis of political parties. ... » more
In an article published by Project Syndicate, sociologist Ralf Dahrendorf expresses his view that populism's success can be explained by a crisis of political parties. "Gone are the times in the older democracies when one could count on two major parties – one social democratic, the other more to the right of center – dominating the political scene. ... The decline of parties reflects the decline of class. The old proletariat and the old bourgeoisie are gone. Instead we see what has sometimes been called a "levelled-in middle-class society," albeit one with an important elite of the super-rich at one end and an underclass at the other. The very structure of society has come to be shaky. ... These populists promise solutions that dispense with the habits and norms of moderation, notably with centrist democratic policies and an internationalism that seeks to promote peace and prosperity. One sometimes wonders whether we are experiencing not so much the end of history as the end of enlightened history, perhaps of the enlightenment itself."
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More from the press review on the subject » Philosophy, » Global
All available articles from » Ralf Dahrendorf
Neue Zürcher Zeitung - Switzerland | Monday, 31. July 2006
Romanian-German author Richard Wagner examines the rise of populism in the countries of Central Eastern Europe: » more
Romanian-German author Richard Wagner examines the rise of populism in the countries of Central Eastern Europe: "A key factor in the recent success of populism is the manipulation of terms. Populists portray themselves as anti-communist and anti-capitalist at the same time. This is the case with Viktor Orban, Hungary's national conservative opposition leader who at the beginning of his political career had liberal leanings, and it's also the case with the Kaczynski brothers in Poland. Their party calls itself the 'Law and Justice Party'. Both parties portray their countries as being under siege. What was once under threat from Soviet imperialism now seems in danger of succumbing to the pressure of globalisation. Old and new bogeymen are experiencing a boom." Wagner calls for "a stronger cooperation between civil forces, transcending the borders between East and West," to counteract this phenomenon.
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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Social movements, » Eastern Europe
All available articles from » Richard Wagner
Sme - Slovakia | Wednesday, 21. June 2006
Within a year, Poles, Hungarians, Czechs and Slovakians have all elected new parliaments and are drifting apart politically, notes Peter Morvay. "Slovakia has chosen a ... » more
Within a year, Poles, Hungarians, Czechs and Slovakians have all elected new parliaments and are drifting apart politically, notes Peter Morvay. "Slovakia has chosen a different path to its immediate neighbours, the Czech Republic and Hungary. Voters in Prague and Budapest have turned their backs on populism and extremism, whereas in Slovakia and Warsaw populists who for the sake of power are willing to make a pact with the devil – or in other words with extreme nationalist parties – have won. It has to be said that in the case of Slovakia the populism of the victorious social democratic Smer party is even more extreme than that of its close friends, Viktor Orban and Jiri Paroubek. At least the latter have democratic roots. Smer, on the other hand, was a purely populist party right from the start."
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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Eastern Europe
All available articles from » Peter Morvay
Przekrój - Poland | Friday, 26. May 2006
Talking to Wawrzyniec Smoczynski, British political scientist Paul Taggart describes the impact populists have on a country's political system. "Populists destroy democracy by suppressing debate. ... » more
Talking to Wawrzyniec Smoczynski, British political scientist Paul Taggart describes the impact populists have on a country's political system. "Populists destroy democracy by suppressing debate. Representative democracy is based on pluralism, but when a populist walks on to the political stage, he polarises opinion. The remaining parties start to define themselves in terms of the populist, and pluralism disappears. A lack of diversity of opinion doesn't make for good politics. On the other hand, populism is short-lived, so its impact is naturally limited."
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More from the press review on the subject » Philosophy, » Global
All available articles from » Paul Taggart
European Populism
Postimees - Estonia | Tuesday, 9. October 2007
Martin Kala fears the rise of populism in several European member states could hinder the adoption of the EU reform treaty this autumn. "Populist politicians ... » more
Martin Kala fears the rise of populism in several European member states could hinder the adoption of the EU reform treaty this autumn. "Populist politicians convey the impression that Europe is an elite club. Nationalist slogans, protectionist measures and widespread distrust are gaining ground. In some member states, the message is increasingly that the focus should be more on the nation's own interests and the 'true concerns of the people'. What kind of message have the Polish leaders sent to Brussels in recent times? Only that its people are primarily concerned about the future of Poland rather than that of Europe."
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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Poland, » Europe
All available articles from » Martin Kala
Élet és Irodalom - Hungary | Wednesday, 15. August 2007
A few weeks ago Hungarian writer Péter Nádas warned in an essay that Hungary's democracy was under serious threat. Author Iván Sándor analyses the background for this claim: » more
A few weeks ago Hungarian writer Péter Nádas warned in an essay that Hungary's democracy was under serious threat. Author Iván Sándor analyses the background for this claim: "The governing parties are observing the rules of the constitution and of democracy, but the main opposition party [the right-wing conservative Fidesz party] is not. It's doing politics through ritual performance and barely bothering to distance itself from the right-wing radicals. Calls for the introduction of direct democracy are becoming increasingly frequent, not for the purpose of lawfully monitoring the government or as an opposition initiative based on the right of assembly, but for the legitimisation of populist demands through the masses."
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All available articles from » Iván Sándor
Gazeta Wyborcza - Poland | Tuesday, 17. July 2007
Poland's populist Samoobrona Farmers Party and the ultra-conservative League of Polish Families (LPR) have joined forces. They plan to run under the joint list name LiS (Polish for fox) in the next parliamentary elections, in the hope that this will boost their position within the governing coalition with the PiS. Piotr Pacewicz comments: » more
Poland's populist Samoobrona Farmers Party and the ultra-conservative League of Polish Families (LPR) have joined forces. They plan to run under the joint list name LiS (Polish for fox) in the next parliamentary elections, in the hope that this will boost their position within the governing coalition with the PiS. Piotr Pacewicz comments: "This alliance between the cheap populism of Samoobrona and the nationalist provincial agenda of the LPR, which has sprung from fear of the PiS, is good news. It is bound to accelerate the gradual demise we have been witnessing over the past few months of two embarrassing formations... Each of the two parties has a large, negatively oriented body of voters which partially intersect. The battle for power within the alliance will increase the number of Samoobrona and LPR opponents. In this way the little fox alliance will end up being rejected instead of rewarded by voters."
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All available articles from » Piotr Pacewicz
Le Temps - Switzerland | Tuesday, 12. June 2007
After the feeble score of the National Front in the first round of legislative elections in France (4.3 %), Sylvain Besson considers that Nicolas Sarkozy ... » more
After the feeble score of the National Front in the first round of legislative elections in France (4.3 %), Sylvain Besson considers that Nicolas Sarkozy managed to weaken Jean-Marie Le Pen's party by taking over his favourite themes "delinquency, immigration, 'national identity' and the excessive weight of the State. ... This is an important lesson for other European countries, which are all confronted with more or less virulent forms of populism. It is better to take the preoccupations of citizens seriously, even when politically incorrect, than to seek refuge in verbal antifascism, no doubt full of good intention, but 'tragically inefficient on ground-level'. It is better to propose solutions, even if they are flawed and sometimes demagogic, than to presume that the far-right will disappear thanks to a few moral condemnations. It is by understanding this that Nicolas Sarkozy managed to become president.”
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More from the press review on the subject » EU Policy, » Domestic Policy, » France, » Europe
All available articles from » Sylvain Besson
Monitor - Bulgaria | Wednesday, 18. April 2007
On May 20th, 18 Bulgarian representatives will be elected to the European parliament. Teofan Germanov comments on the election campaign. "There is no serious dialogue among the parties, the institutions and civilian society. All you hear is the answer: » more
On May 20th, 18 Bulgarian representatives will be elected to the European parliament. Teofan Germanov comments on the election campaign. "There is no serious dialogue among the parties, the institutions and civilian society. All you hear is the answer: 'It won't work'. This highlights the difference between us and the Americans. When something new is to be introduced here all you hear is 'It won't work', while in the US it's: 'Let's see what we can do'... Instead of presenting constructive and sensible election manifestos, the political parties are relying on populism... The subject of Europe has been trivialised to the extent that people switch the TV channel as soon as they hear the letter 'E'. Their ears are becoming increasingly receptive to populist and anti-European formulas.
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All available articles from » Teofan Germanov
Postimees - Estonia | Monday, 5. March 2007
Estonia elected a new parliament this Sunday. For the first time citizens were able to cast their votes over the Internet. The newspaper hails the re-election of the ruling Reform Party as a small sensation: » more
Estonia elected a new parliament this Sunday. For the first time citizens were able to cast their votes over the Internet. The newspaper hails the re-election of the ruling Reform Party as a small sensation: "For the first time since Estonia's independence was re-established, the old Prime Minister is also the new one. This is a good sign - not least for other countries. Over the past couple of years the new EU member states have prompted negative headlines with their political instability and increasing populism. In view of these developments yesterday's elections in Estonia - which ended in a major victory for the ruling party and so guarantee political continuity - send a very positive signal. Moreover, the increase in voter turnout has shown that the nation is not indifferent to what happens to Estonia. Despite all the problems the people have not turned their backs on politics."
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More from the press review on the subject » Domestic Policy, » Estonia
Die Presse - Austria | Friday, 5. January 2007
The USA's loss of power in the wake of the Iraq war debacle is clear to Michael Prüller. The question is, who will succeed the ... » more
The USA's loss of power in the wake of the Iraq war debacle is clear to Michael Prüller. The question is, who will succeed the United States as leading superpower? Prüller fears that only Russia and China are realistic candidates - not Europe. The EU is "administratively overtaxed following the rushed accession of Romania and Bulgaria, and, what is much worse, it has no concept of its own values, tasks and goals. Gripped in a deep identity crisis, the leaders of 'united' Europe tack back and forth between snobbery and tired populism. The days of strong visions for the future being developed in dialogue with the people are over. Yet they are desperately needed today. But in a continent that counts Angela Merkel among its most prominent statesmen, we can't expect much world-political leadership."
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More from the press review on the subject » EU enlargement, » EU Policy, » Germany, » Europe
All available articles from » Michael Prüller
Libération - France | Wednesday, 8. November 2006
Commentating the French presidential election campaign, the political columnist Alain Duhamel remarks that "France is less and less beyond the reach of populism, with its ... » more
Commentating the French presidential election campaign, the political columnist Alain Duhamel remarks that "France is less and less beyond the reach of populism, with its long line of systematic denigration of elites, guilty of all failures, all regressions, but never gratified by progress or success, with its verbal violence too, its diffuse authoritarianism, its outcrop of demagogy, its deliberate simplifications". According to him, France's constitutional structure is amplifying the phenomenon. "For a generation now, France's humus has been sprouting populism. The institutional practice of the 5th Republic is still dramatising the risks with the endless blocking of social dialogue, the aberrant, archaic, destructive absence of any parliamentary control of presidential and governmental action."
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Diena - Latvia | Monday, 16. October 2006
According to Peteris Strautins, Toomas Hendrik Ilves's visit to Latvia is aimed at healing old wounds. Strautins says those wounds were inflicted eight years ago ... » more
According to Peteris Strautins, Toomas Hendrik Ilves's visit to Latvia is aimed at healing old wounds. Strautins says those wounds were inflicted eight years ago when Ilves said Estonia was not a Baltic but a Nordic state. "Back then we were all feeling very offended. … Yet we too should perhaps cultivate the idea of being part of Northern Europe. The Northern states have an international reputation as leaders in science and research and as economically successful states with humane societies. … The term 'Central and Eastern Europe', on the other hand, was first associated with the desire for freedom and is now associated with populism and the resurgence of an aggressive form of nationalism. We should leave this region as quickly as possible."
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More from the press review on the subject » International Relations, » Baltic States, » Northern Europe
All available articles from » Pēteris Strautiņš
L'Humanité - France | Monday, 9. October 2006
The editorialist Maurice Ulrich notes that Vlaams Belang has again progressed with the latest municipal elections in Belgium. "This result demonstrates the gravity of the ... » more
The editorialist Maurice Ulrich notes that Vlaams Belang has again progressed with the latest municipal elections in Belgium. "This result demonstrates the gravity of the political crisis that is striking Europe today. Belgium is not an isolated case, far from it. .. The European map of the populist right-wing, whatever their minor differences, places them above 10% in Norway, Denmark, Austria, Holland and Northern Italy. Above 20% in Switzerland. In most cases it is mixed up with the far-right. Eastern Europe is no exception. ... It is the absence of perspectives, of real alternatives to the politics in practice, the impression that left and right are alike, that make it easy for demagogues, feed the far-right, populism and hatred in France as in Belgium, as in Europe."
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All available articles from » Maurice Ulrich
Le Monde - France | Thursday, 21. September 2006
In the face of the violence that continues to run amok in the streets of Budapest, the European Union has so far proven prudent. Anne ... » more
In the face of the violence that continues to run amok in the streets of Budapest, the European Union has so far proven prudent. Anne Rodier asked the French political scientist Jean-Yves Camus, a specialist in the study of the far-right, if the rise of populism in Hungary, Slovakia and Poland might be interpreted as a regional crisis among the new EU member states. "There have always been persistent ultranationalist currents running through these countries. But the classification of parties is immensely problematic. The lines are blurred in all of these States where movements which fought against the Soviets have the aura of liberators. Crisis lies where there is reaction to the European Union. Not only in terms of economy, in terms of identity too."
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Sme - Slovakia | Monday, 7. August 2006
Peter Schutz says there's no need to exaggerate the dangers of "nationalism, xenophobia and populism" in Slovakia just because Jan Slota's nationalist SNS party is ... » more
Peter Schutz says there's no need to exaggerate the dangers of "nationalism, xenophobia and populism" in Slovakia just because Jan Slota's nationalist SNS party is part of the government. "Unlike Roman Giertych and his League of Polish Families, whose values are clearly reflected in Kazynski's government policies, the SNS has not expressed a single view that could interfere with the rights of Hungarians or the Roma. It didn't even protest when Dusan Caplovic [the deputy prime minister responsible for European affairs and minority policies] agreed with his predecessor Pal Czaky on a law for financing minority cultures. The previous governing coalition never managed to push through such a law. By signing the government programme Slota has also agreed to the creation of 'a system for promoting the cultures of national minorities'. SNS voters certainly have good reason to be protesting in front of the city hall in Zilina [where Slota is mayor]."
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All available articles from » Peter Schutz
Trouw - Netherlands | Friday, 7. July 2006
"Rita Verdonk [integration minister] follows in the same tradition as the Austrian Jörg Haider, the Belgian Filip Dewinter, the Dutchman Pim Fortuyn, the Frenchman Jean-Marie ... » more
"Rita Verdonk [integration minister] follows in the same tradition as the Austrian Jörg Haider, the Belgian Filip Dewinter, the Dutchman Pim Fortuyn, the Frenchman Jean-Marie Le Pen and the American Ross Perrot. They are all populists who threaten democracy by proposing simplistic solutions," Hans Dijkstal, the former leader of the centre-right People's Party for Freedom and Democracy, or VVD [of which Verdonk is a member], explains in an interview to a regional newspaper. "According to Dijkstal, Dutch political culture is under threat from simplistic thoughts. The influence of television, especially, is preventing nuance from being taken into consideration."
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Le Soir - Belgium | Wednesday, 12. April 2006
In an interview with Dominique Berns, the French political analyst Guy Hermet stresses that Silvio Berlusconi's defeat should not be interpreted as the failure of populism. ... » more
In an interview with Dominique Berns, the French political analyst Guy Hermet stresses that Silvio Berlusconi's defeat should not be interpreted as the failure of populism. "With the abandonment of the old party system, [which pitted Christian democracy against the Communist party], populism nearly morphed into a political regime. ... If, this time around, Berlusconi and his allies have lost, we need to keep in mind that they were the victors twice in the past. They will be back. Italy, in a certain sense, is setting the tone because Berlusconi has introduced a completely new brand of populism. ... Berlusconi has made politics fun. Isn't this what the voters seemed to want? For politics to be less 'boring'? But what is even more important is that populism, in Italy, and in the rest of Europe, is forcing professional politicians to adapt."
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Népszabadság - Hungary | Saturday, 25. March 2006
Civil rights activist and political scientist Peter Tölgyessy notes regretfully that although Hungary has one of the largest budget deficits in Europe, the various parties ... » more
Civil rights activist and political scientist Peter Tölgyessy notes regretfully that although Hungary has one of the largest budget deficits in Europe, the various parties in the current election campaign are outbidding each other with unrealistic pledges. "During the last legislative period, real income grew twice as quickly as the economy, yet there is hardly a single person in this country who is satisfied with his life... Given the already dangerously large budget deficit, the new government will not be able to count on economic growth. Not one more year should pass without the introduction of major reforms, because Hungary urgently needs new impulses. However, if populism becomes the most important component of our political system, introducing reforms will be virtually impossible."
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All available articles from » Péter Tölgyessy
Sydsvenskan - Sweden | Wednesday, 8. March 2006
In Norway and Denmark, it's mainly the right-wing populist parties that have profited from the cartoon row. In Sweden, however, the situation is different, the ... » more
In Norway and Denmark, it's mainly the right-wing populist parties that have profited from the cartoon row. In Sweden, however, the situation is different, the newspaper writes. "In Sweden the Social Democrats have copied neither the programmes nor the language of the right-wing populist parties... This has nothing to do with a lack of public debate or Swedish democracy being subject to limitations. It's because the established parties act responsibly. They don't reinforce populism, they don't copy it, they don't justify it and they don't cooperate with it."
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