Populism

Nationalism in America and Europe: Populist wave crashes ashore

Those feeling left behind in a globalized world are striking back where they can through the ballot box, using liberal democratic election systems to power illiberal aims.

The trend is undeniable: Far-right parties are on the march from Eastern Europe to the United States, promoting nationalism as a front for turning their countries inward, away from an increasingly interconnected world.The Freedom Party in Austria, Jobbik in Hungary, Law and Justice in Poland, the National Front in France, the Danish People’s Party and Britain’s movement to leave the European Union, have all gained substantial ground – if not secured governing majorities – over the past two years. The rise of President-elect Donald Trump is simply an extension of that movement, where populations across the Western world are rejecting immigration, freedom of trade and global integration, in favor of nativism, protectionism and disengagement.