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May 20, 2024 - 10:00am
Of the four parties which have just agreed to form a new government in the Netherlands, three can be described as populist — not least the Party for Freedom of Right-wing leader Geert Wilders.
The fourth, however, is the liberal People’s Party for Freedom and Democracy (VVD. Until Wilders’s shock victory in last year’s general election, the VVD was the dominant force in Dutch politics. Its former leader, Mark Rutte, has been Prime Minister since 2010 and is a major player in EU politics.
So what is his party doing putting the hard Right into office? That’s a question being asked by Renew Europe (RE), which is the EU-wide grouping of liberal and centrist parties.
Earlier this month, RE signed a joint declaration with three other Euro-blocs, representing the EU’s socialists, social democrats and greens. Entitled “In Defence of Democracy”, it warns that the “rise of the far-Right and radical parties in Europe is a threat to our common project, its values and to the civil liberties and fundamental rights of its citizens”. The declaration goes on to state that “we will never cooperate nor form a coalition with the far-Right and radical parties at any level.”
Renew Europe not only put its name to the declaration, but primly expressed its “regret” that the European People’s Party — the main centre-right bloc — had “failed to sign this important statement of unity against extremism”.
And yet less than two weeks later, the VVD — one of Renew Europe’s most prominent members — was ushering Wilders along the corridors of power. How can such blatant hypocrisy be tolerated? Perhaps, it won’t be. Over the weekend, François Bayrou — ally of Emmanuel Macron and a Renew Europe stalwart — said that the VVD “will have no place in the group we form”.
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SubscribeIt would appear that “fear of the right” or “fear of populism” has been overegged by those that would prosper from reduced competition.
It may well be that ‘the right’, ‘the far right’, ‘the fascists’, might hold uncomfortable views to many, but the same could be said of the ‘liberal consensus’.
Earlier this month, RE signed a joint declaration with three other Euro-blocs, representing the EU’s socialists, social democrats and greens. Entitled ‘In Defence of Democracy‘”
The notion that the political groupings most committed to enforcing political opinion orthodoxy are defending democracy is absurd.
Daniel – you read this wrong. The correct tile was “In Defence of the Right Sort of Democracy”
act.”
“Orthodoxy means not thinking–not needing to think. Orthodoxy is unconsciousness.”
― George Orwell, 1984
I had to chuckle. What’s wrong with ‘wrecking the liberal consensus’ ? After all it’s been such a boon for progress in the EU no? Go Gerry Wilders!
So what is his party doing putting the hard Right into office?
Oh, no; not the hard right. Whatever will we do, how will society survive without leftist hegemony? Perhaps the people who generated that “consensus” and their water carries could engage in the slightest introspection as to why the public is not satisfied. If politicians are capable of that.
I think it’s time to unsubscribe
This type of essay is getting very tiresome. Who gets to determine which party is centre left or centre right? Anyone who thinks open borders is a good idea long ago abandoned the centre of anything. I’m sure the Nasi foot soldiers in Germany thought they were protecting democracy when they kicked our Jewish students and teachers.
Indeed they – the NSDAP foot soldiers – wanted to protect the democracy of the German Volk against the anti-democratic machinations of rich cosmopolitan Industrialists of a certain religious ethnicity subverting the democratic will of the people – against the George Soroses of their time in effect. That’s how they saw things at least.
I’m here as a “1 Month Free” subscriber because I’m trying to decide if I really want to subscribe. This article could tip the scales to No. What does Mr Franklin, an Associate Editor at Unherd no less, think “Populism” is? A dirty word obviously.
Mr Franklin, populism is your beloved Democracy at work. You’re labeling of everything “Populist” as Right-wing is a pathetic attempt to demonize those whose politics don’t align with the Left.
Even the title of this article is laughable. Europe has never had a “Liberal Consensus”. It was never Liberal, only in the minds of those who all agree with each other and march in lockstep. Otherwise you’re labeled as some sort of extremist as this author does here.
Ireland’s Fianna Fail are also in the Liberal RE group. They are a perfect fit for the neoliberal Brussels-worshipping group that RE (formerly ALDE) was until now, but they may soon have to share power with the left-populist Sinn Fein.
d**k I agree with the first half of your comments regarding FF, but whatever makes you think that Sinn Fein will be in any position of influence after the next election? They are in for a right old hammering, as their traditional voter base feels betrayed on a number of grounds.
Illiberal consensus dontcha mean?
Ok I’ll say it. What liberal consensus? Doesn’t seem like there’s much consensus in Europe on much of anything these days. I admit to not knowing a lot about how EU elections works, so maybe being the ‘third-largest bloc’ means something other than that there are two blocs with greater support, which leads me to question how much ‘consensus’ there is. Am I way off base here? Help an American out here.