Nationalism on the Rise

As the global order of the post-World War II era continues to recede, the self-interest of aggressive nationalism is becoming the dominant replacement. The EU elections this week will likely witness a surge of Eurosceptics into the EU’s parliament.

While many of the candidates don’t advocate withdrawal from the EU or breaking it up, they uniformly aim to change it to benefit the perceived interest of their own country. The result is likely to be reduced power in Brussels due to less consensus on overall goals and more decentralization of authority over specific areas. The changes are also likely to be less supportive of democratic structures and norms in member states. It will also provide opportunities for Russia and China to achieve geopolitical and economic goals.

From left, Geert Wilders, leader of Dutch Party for Freedom, Matteo Salvini,
Jörg Meuthen, leader of Alternative For Germany Party, Marine Le Pen, Leader
of the French National Front, Vaselin Marehki leader of Bulgarian 'Volya' party,
Jaak Madison of Estonian Conservative People’s Party, and Tomio Okamura
Leader of Czech far-right Freedom and Direct Democracy, attend a rally
organized by League leader Matteo Salvini, with leaders of other European
nationalist parties, ahead of the May 23-26 European Parliamentary elections,
May 18, 2019 | Photo: Luca Bruno/AP