Round The World
New
Delhi, 4 October 2017
Right-wing Surge in
Germany
INDIAN MODEL FOR
EUROPE!
By Dr.D.K.Giri
(Prof. International
Politics, JMI)
Liberals
as well as progressives in Germany are shocked by the 19th Bundestag
(Parliament) results. For the first time in German politics a right-wing
anti-immigration, anti-Europe Party
Alternative for Germany (AfD, entered the Parliament with 12.6 per cent votes
translating into 94 MPs.
Said,
a senior Social Democratic Party member, “the elections are a breaking point
for parliamentary democracy in Germany”. His statement reflects their shock and
disappointment at the right-wing surge not only in German politics but also as
the whole of Europe is experiencing a shift to the far-right in their
respective countries.
Undeniably,
the German results are dramatic. The incumbent Chancellor Angela Merkel secured
a fourth term albeit with a diminished electoral base. Her Party CDU / CSU
suffered a massive loss of votes percentage and seats and got reduced from 41.5
per cent of popular votes to 32.9 per cent and from 311 seats to 246 in the
Parliament, their lowest score since 1949.
The
second largest Party SPD which was a partner in her previous Government met a
similar fate, down from 25.7 per cent to 20.5 per cent of votes and from 193 to
153 Members of Parliament. This was the SPD’s worst electoral show since the
Second World War.
The
other four Parties in the Bundestag are the right-wing extremist Party AfD with
12.6 per cent, centre-right Free Democratic Party (FDP) with 10.7 per cent, the
Left, Grand Linke, 9.2 per cent and the Greens, 8.9 per cent.
Notably,
the coalition building process post election is difficult and lengthy in
Germany. It is likely that CDU/CSU will invite the FDP and the Greens to join
them. In the last Parliament Merkel entered into a coalition with her biggest
rival SPD to form the Government.
Surely,
the SPD finds the defeat too bitter to stomach easily and have refused to join Merkel’s
coalition Government again. Instead they would rather reflect on their
performance and re-build the Party. Its leader Martin Schultz who had
distinguished himself as the President of the European Parliament failed to prevent
Merkel from winning her fourth consecutive term.
As
she faced the doubts and dilemmas of German voters over her open-door
immigration policy the SPD did not have an alternative and persuasive narrative.
That is why, the anti-Merkel voters went to right and left wing Parties who
could not form a Government on their own.
Certainly,
the SPD, a progressive social democratic Party could have formed the Government
if they could articulate the anti-Merkel sentiments of the voters into a
coherent agenda of their own. That was not to be. The Social Democrats hooked
to a centre-left approach, are not known to be inventive in their ideological
platforms.
Coming
back to the right-wing lurch of European politics the whole of Europe is swept
by a new wave of right-wing populism and extremism for the last two decades.
Belgium, which headquarters the supranational European Union had a ‘black
Sunday’ in 1991 when the right-wing populist Flemish Block gained 6.8 per cent
of the national vote to enter the Parliament.
Likewise,
there are the Dutch Freedom Party, Front National in France, Austrian Freedom
Party, United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), Finns Party in Finland, the
Law and Justice Party in Poland, Viktor Orban’s Fidesz Party and another
far-right Party Jobbik in Hungary, Sweden’s
right-wing racist Party Sweden Democrats and Golden Dawn in Greece etc.
All
these Parties are anti-immigration, ultra-nationalist, anti-European Union,
isolationist and perfectionist. The biggest threat posed by these is to the
European Union --- by far the most successful regional integration of 28
countries, now 27 with UK’s exit.
Remember,
the EU signified functional federalism, multi-culturalism and pooling of
sovereignties for greater good. It is the beacon of hope, peace and prosperity
for the world, especially as it was born after the destruction of Europe in two
world wars and disruption of its politics and economy in several smaller
regional wars.
Pertinently,
the right-wing Parties want to pull out of the EU. The relentless populist
campaign by UKIP in Britain took UK out of European Union. The Sweden Democrats
and Hungary’s Jobbik want to hold referendums on their membership of the European
Union. So do almost all the European right-wing Parties. There are other
concomitant damages that might accrue from their policies.
Questionably,
how are the right-wing Parties gaining support from the educated, sophisticated
electorate of Europe? All of them are falling prey to the populist rhetoric of
the right-wing Parties. The answer to this is not hard to find. European
countries have been mono-cultural societies. Their concept of nationhood rested
on a single culture --- one language, one religion, one race, etc.
Although
they accommodated other non-Europeans owing to their colonial compulsions,
their policies and attitude were not geared to pluralism. Even the construction
of the EU did not help much as it could not transcend the white racism and
Europeanism so far.
Hence,
can the Union of India offer a model of politics to the European Union and its
member countries? India, barring the latest activism of the Hindutva brigade,
homogenizing the culture by imposing food habits etc has been a viable model
for multi-culturalism and political federalism. Even the majority religion,
Hinduism is pluralist and polytheist in its practice.
India
recognizes multiple identities like caste, colour, faith, language, region etc.
But subsuming all of them is a supra identity, citizenship, based on the
Constitution. Consequently, nation and state became two complementary but
distinct political and cultural units. The principles, policies and practices are
reflective of pluralism in every walk of life. Of course, there are exceptions
but exceptions do not make the rule.
Clearly,
Europe should look at Indian pluralism which synthesizes modernity and
tradition and absorbs alien cultures into its framework. Only in such a
pluralist framework can one stunt the growth of right-wing extremist
tendencies. In fact, right-wing populism grows in the absence of a narrative
that accommodates ‘the other’, the so-called culture usurper while, at the same
time, it assures the majority that they are not threatened.
Curiously,
while the right-wing Parties speak to the majority and capture the gullible, the
progressive Parties talk of the minorities. A pluralist agenda will appeal to
the majority and minority, the insider and the outsider.
Let’s
finish with a word on the refugee crisis that gripped the European countries
and caused the seismic shock in the electoral results. Many counties, including
India, are facing a large humanitarian refugee problem. But dealing with the
refugees is like treating the consequences of a problem, not the cause.
Europeans
have been reluctant to engage with the Middle-East, leaving it to the Americans
to handle. But by being closer to the Middle-East than the Americans, they have
to deal with the refugees. Secondly, they should treat the refugees as
transient displacees, who should eventually be helped or facilitated to return
to their homeland. That would mean bringing an end to the fratricidal wars in
the Middle-East.
However,
identity, pluralism, a spirit of accommodation are the keys to lock right-wing
populism and extremism. ---- INFA
(Copyright, India News & Feature Alliance)
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