# taz.de -- Spotlight Populism: Enhancement of the EU
> The defeat of the „wait an see“ politics – can the new populism movement
> save the European Union?
IMG Bild: Establishment: EC President Jean-Claude Juncker and Portugal's Prime Minister Antonio Costa
1. It is a widespread idea nowadays: the rising populism movement is a
general threat for European countries, defying the foundatios of our
democracies. However, there is no minucious analysis of these so-called
“new populisms“ – just a labeling with no scientific or political coherent
criteria. In order to identify (firstly) and then intellectually fight back
the enemies of our open societies, we should study the structure and nature
of them, besides the deep roots of their sucess.
2. Therefore, the first mistake made by the european political elite and
the mainstream media is to put the french “Front Nationnel“ populism (led
by Marine Le Pen), the italian “Five Star movement“ populism (personified
by Beppe Grillo) or Donald Trump’s populism in the very same bag. Well,
politics often is like our daily-routine life: every housekeeper knows for
sure that one should put in the same grocery bag things of different gender
and of different quality.
Fair enough: these populisms are of the same gender, but they have
different quality. We can undoubtedly differ Marine Le Pen’s populism from
Donald Trump’s, based on the nature, the social environment surroundig the
inception of their movements, the tradition of their country or just
bearing in mind their political arguments.
For instance, in Germany, AfD has adopted a far more xenophobe political
narrative based on the race or national identity supremacy which resonates
in some population segments (oddly, in some of the youngest people!); in
France, by comparison, Marine Le Pen shows the national identity cards as
well, but the political efficiency of this argument is not explained by its
own strenght: the national identity card triumphs in France due to the
economic and financial dramatic situation, the political system’s deadlock,
and, last but not the least, the menace of fundamentalist islamic
terrorism. Ergo, it is crucial to be rigorous in the analysis in order to
be rigorous in the solutions that will come up eventually.
3. Furthermore, the assertion according to which populism is a recent
reality in our current politics is utterly exaggerated and unrealistic. As
a matter of fact, populism has always been hidden or latent in our
societies. What is different in the current political conjuncture after
all? The way by which this populism unveils itself.
Before this historical moment, all the anger and fury against politics,
political agents and institutions, were fueled into extreme-left parties
and movements. The anger was just against big capital, the economic system,
big corporations.
Now things are different: as democracies as we know are now deemed to be
impotent to solve the problems people most worried about, new political
alternatives and agendas have arisen.
Why has there been a shift from left to right? Why has there been a replace
of the extreme-left by the extreme-right? It is plain to see: the reason is
that extreme-left and left in general joined the system, became part of the
problem and no longer are (or are able to be) the solution.
4. Indeed, the political establishment – including the mainstream media –
is the only one to blame for the rising up of these populisms. Modern
societies are faced with new and complex problems – but the solutions found
out by the politicians are always the same. No matter if you belong to the
Government or to the opposition – the political discourse is exactly the
same.
The Prime-Minister, the President or the leader of the opposition, either
from the right-wing or from the left-wing, have the same (quite often,
ridiculed and vague) speech. This is unbearable – democracy implies
different alternatives, free speech, freedom of thinking. Free and open
discussions lead us to better solutions. The “wait and see“ policies, not
solving the problems faced by citizens, politics are the father of the new
european populist movements.
5. Finally, the dictatorship imposed by political correctness culture
refrains the freedom of speech of each individual and creates a culture of
authority and submission. If there are a “few“ that permantly imposes their
will to the “many“, this will generate a feeling of disenfrachisement in
the majority of the electorate. The dictatorship of the “p.c. culture“
could be replaced by another dictatorship then – one that actually works,
that is the perception of the electorate. Political correctness culture is
the mother of the new european populist movements.
6. European political elites are very concerned about the “post-truth
politics“ world. Well, if you you want ti know the truth, let’s face it:
there will be no strong European Union unless the european member-states
are strong as well.
Whether (and while) member states are weak, so is the European Union. If
(and while) the constitutional institutions of member-states are facing a
disruption risk, so is the European Union. It is time to rethink the
European Union and replace the bureaucracy by political prudence, wisdom
and efficiency. And the irony of all this is that actually threat of
populism can be the real antidote to avoid EU colapse!
7. So, populism really may enhance, not destroy, the European Union – who
was seeing that coming?
João Lemos Esteves, Lecture in University of Lisbon, Law School and a
permanent contributor to SOL, a prestigious weekly newspaper in Portugal,
where he analyses on a daily basis the politics, economics, social and
cultural issues of Portugal, the European Union and the world.
2 May 2017
## AUTOREN
DIR João Lemos Esteves
## TAGS
DIR taz in English
DIR taz international
DIR Spotlight Populism in Europe
DIR Populismus
DIR Europäische Union
DIR Demokratie
DIR Schwerpunkt Emmanuel Macron
DIR taz in English
DIR USA
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