The changing face of politics across Europe.

England is not alone in the challenges it faces in the future. Europe is facing one of its most unsettled political moments in decades. Fuelled by economic uncertainty, migration pressures, lack of energy security, and the ever rising cost of living. Step into the frame a resurgent right full of confidence and eager for power. 

Declining trust in the competence and motives of traditional parties have destabilised Western Europe as never before. Pressure from right of centre conservative gains in France, Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands, and Italy, to name but a few, have brought many centre left and far left parties to the point of electoral collapse. Growing scepticism of the EU itself is now being loudly voiced throughout Europe in a way that would have been unthinkable five years ago. 

Getting stability back in Europe depends on strengthening the publics confidence in electoral systems, government transparency, and the adoption of policies that the electorate demand. Which the present crop of mostly left of centre governments have been unable, or more likely, unwilling to implement. 

National governments in many European countries seem fixated on turning the present situation into a fight against the so called far right, this is of course a crude attempt to shift the focus of the publics anger away from themselves and on to others. Regulating, or even proposing to ban free speech in the guise of protecting vulnerable groups. Proposing to ban online platforms and independent journalists under the suspicion of foreign interference. All of which are just a deflection of criticism and an attempt to silence sceptical voices. Which of course the public are beginning to see through and are increasingly recognising the dishonesty of these so called democratic governments. 

In England we have even seen elections postponed, ostensibly for democratic reorganisation, although most people believe it was to keep the Reform party out of office in those places. In Germany they are considering banning a right wing party, ‘to defend democracy,’ you honestly couldn’t make that up, and in France they have used the law to ban a presidential candidate just long enough for her to miss the next presidential election. Measures such as these are not going to endear governments to their voters, they are just making themselves look corrupt and vindictive and are fuelling resentment right across the continent. 

Stabilising Europe requires the main stream parties stop vilifying their opponents and using draconian policies and the law to disqualify them from the democratic process. If the people think you have cheated to stay in power that is a sure fire recipe for social discontent and disorder. 

Migration remains a flashpoint in European politics. The Mediterranean route, asylum pressures, and intra-European mobility fuel opposition narratives and strain local services. In England as in most of Europe the strain on health services, transport and housing are becoming acute, as is the strain on welfare budgets, all of which are contributing to the increased levels of taxation being imposed on the working population and an increase in national debt to eye watering levels. 

Economic inequality within European nations, also fuels discontent. Rising living costs, energy crises linked to the war in Ukraine, post-pandemic debt, and a fixation on unrealistic green energy targets, have created fertile ground for instability. The rise in energy prices here in England caused by green taxes on companies is particularly resented by the majority of the population who have seen their bills go through the roof. Stabilisation of the situation requires coordinated fiscal policies, based on sound financial principals not political dogma. 

Centre left governments have got to come to terms with the possibility, nay probability, that their time in office is coming to an end for the foreseeable future. they only have themselves to blame, the present situation is completely of their own making.

I believe they will have but two choices for the future. The first is to take the pressure out of the system by behaving like true democrats and letting the people have their say through the ballot box, even if it means their own loss of power. 

The second choice is to carry on acting like the old Soviet Union and trying to hold on to power at all costs no matter how dubious the means. Which will of course increase the pressure within the system by frustrating the peoples desire for change. That pressure is building within the system is without doubt and rising to dangerous levels and only the most stupid or corrupt politicians will continue to stoke the flames whilst ignoring the the fact that the pressure gauge is now firmly in the red. 

Stephen Vivian-Davis