An MEP on… Why Europe must find itself

Marton Gyongyosi MEP | Issue 4 | Brussels, Comment, Magazine, Westminster Index

From the Archive

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Democracy is under attack in Europe

The migrant crisis, a pandemic and the climate emergency: the need for internationally coordinated responses to crises has never been more apparent. And these problems are only the most pressing facing the European Union. Deeper and longer-term challenges lurk under the surface.

Recognition

Change is never easy. Especially not in a union of countries where the threat is not obvious to everyone. But the EU’s fundamental values (the rule of law, freedom of speech) are under attack. Indirectly, the pillars on which post-war Europe was built are slowly being undermined. Since 2010, increasingly powerful far-right populists have been distorting the meaning of European values. So have the far left, promoting identity politics and class struggle. The result is an increasingly extreme political discourse. The main beneficiaries of which are, undoubtedly, the populist forces.

What is democracy?

That’s why it’s so crucial to concede that democracy is normally not threatened by disputes, however much one may despise another’s views. The truth is that most politicians and public figures may disagree, but they generally believe in the boundaries of democracy. Public debates and the clash of different views is democracy in action. This is where anxious liberals can often get confused. The rise of a corrupt or braggadocious politician is no reason to worry about democracy in general, because …

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