Political elites in Europe’s ‘mature’ democracies warn of external threats – but at home they normalise racism and undermine the rule of law
E
urope’s leaders cannot stop talking about democracy. President Emmanuel Macron says he wants to kickstart a democratic “resurgence”, and Friedrich Merz, the German chancellor, has warned of an “axis” of autocratic states targeting liberal democracy in Europe. Having promised to “fight” for what she calls European “values”, Ursula von der Leyen, the president of the European Commission, has just announced a new “democracy shield” and a Centre for Democratic Resilience to prevent foreign interference and deal with external threats. I keep hoping for similar scrutiny of democratic backsliding within the EU – but so far it has not happened.
Foreign interference, disinformation and the creeping illiberalism of Hungary, Poland and Slovakia deserve attention. But lost in this fretting is a more inconvenient truth: within Europe’s “mature” democracies, there is a steady corrosion of the rule of law, a degradation of political discourse and the normalisation of racism, xenophobia and discrimination.
Growing up in a country where democracy was fragile and frequently interrupted, I learned early that the issue is not merely about elections. It is about the quality of governance and of politicians. It depends on protecting human rights and dignity, ensuring social justice, respecting minorities – and minority views – and creating a genuine sense of belonging for all citizens.
