European democracies are running out of time to turn away from the abyss | Rafael Behr
Far-right parties, Maga ideology and Kremlin money are conniving to suffocate liberal idealism for another generation Not all that long ago, Europe was a beacon of liberal idealism. One memoir recalls it as an era “comfortably saturated with confidence in the unfailing and binding power of tolerance and conciliation”. The economic system seemed obviously preferable to barbarous alternatives.…
In recent times, a concerning trend has emerged in Europe, as far-right parties, the Maga ideology, and Kremlin funding threaten to stifle liberal values for a new generation. A memoir from the past paints a picture of a Europe once filled with confidence in the power of tolerance and conciliation, a time when the economic system was seen as superior to barbaric alternatives.
People genuinely believed that over time, differences and boundaries between nations and sects would gradually dissolve into a shared humanity. This sentiment could easily be applied to the spirit of globalization at the turn of the millennium, which was also characterized by optimism and interconnectedness. However, this era of liberal idealism might be coming to an end, a notion that Stefan Zweig captured in his reflections on the optimism of late 19th-century Vienna, penned from the perspective of a Jewish émigré who witnessed the destruction of his world by nationalist violence.
Zweig, himself, took his own life in 1942, unable to witness the ultimate defeat of fascism. He could not have foreseen the resurgence of liberalism in the latter half of the 20th century, which reached a level of complacency reminiscent of the childhood innocence he remembered. As we approach the present day, the specter of authoritarianism and intolerance looms large, hinting at a possible return to the abyss that once seemed distant.
Written by urgent.news from The Guardian US's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
