Jean-Marie Le Pen, who lived to the age of 96, reminds us that extreme right populism has been a persistent feature of European politics since the rise of liberal democracy after World War II. First elected to the French parliament in 1956, Le Pen never attained the level of influence that his daughter commands today. This is because, during the golden years of European … [Read more...] about Why populists are winning: broken promises of liberal democracy
George Orwell and Europe’s new normal
An image of George Orwell is circulating on ‘social media’. He is reading a book, entitled 2024, and he looks shocked if not terrified. Is the situation really so bad? Can Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, first published in 1949, be a guide for today? One might sniff that European integration has not died since ‘Brexit’ and the ascent to power of sovereigntist politicians such as … [Read more...] about George Orwell and Europe’s new normal