The Trumpism virus is attacking. Will Europe be conquered by populists?

gazetafenestra.pl 2 months ago

It's been over 2 months since Donald Trumpan sworn in to the president of the United States of America. The decisions he made during his first days of office have caused shock worldwide. According to many, they were controversial and extreme. But were they truly so different from the leading European leaders, from the center to the right? Or is Europe becoming a mirror of populist America?

Of course, not all the solutions Trump proposes are reflected in Europe. However, among Trumpist policies, which undoubtedly coincide with the course that the EU has late taken, the following should be mentioned: combating illegal immigration, deportations, reducing climate targets and commitments, reinforcing, deregulation and raising budget deficits.

The deportations and suspensions of the exile admission programme correspond to the changing migration policy of many European countries. This illustrates the rejection of the alleged migration pact by the governments of Poland, Slovakia and Hungary. This pact aims to regulate intra-EU migration policy so that all associate States are liable for it in order to relieve the burden of border states of the Union. The anti-immigration trend is besides confirmed by decisions specified as the adoption of a law limiting the right to asylum in Poland or the adoption of a proposal in the German Bundestag, which "calls, among others, for permanent border controls and return at the borders of asylum seekers in Germany". The words of Donald Tusk, who died in the European Parliament on 22 January, should besides be cited. He spoke about the request to defend borders and territory and the helplessness of European governments on this issue. Even more pardonless, no longer skeptical, and even hostile, words fell at the Madrid Patriot Convention for Europe, the 3rd largest group in the EP. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán said: “Brussels has flooded Europe with migrants. She opened the gates and borders to invade migrants. ... Illegal migration, invasion and replacement of Europe's population is not a conspiracy explanation but a reality."

The pursuit of deregulation and strong cooperation with the private sector or the strong capitalist economy are besides Trump's demands, which coincide with the policies of any European leaders. A current example is, for example, the recently established cooperation of Prime Minister Tusk with the company's president InPost Rafał Brzoska. On February 10, Tusk made a bid to make a squad to prepare proposals for deregulation for entrepreneurs. Among the first proposals already published are, among others, the limitation of the activity of taxation offices (including VAT checks), the increase in the limit of the entity's VAT exemption or the wide digitisation of as many authoritative services as possible. These are demands typical of right-wing groups' policies, promoting a simplification in the function of public administration in the lives of citizens and businesses and putting greater emphasis on economical freedom, without taking into account the position of workers. Here too, the words of Tusk, spoken in the EP on 22 January, namely his call for a "great deregulation action". He said, “be a parliament in this word that will make a large effort to deregulation.” He did not mention a word about the dangers that this process can carry. These include increased hazard of abuse, possible lowering of standards, weakening of workers' protection or deficiency of corporate liability.

An increasingly ambiguous approach to climate policy is besides significant. Trump decided to resign from the Paris Agreement and besides to let fresh wells in the seabed and search for oil and gas deposits in Alaska. This could consequence in increased greenhouse gas emissions and degradation of marine ecosystems. At the same time, many Europeans are protesting the Green Deal. Representatives of the Patriots for Europe with Krzysztof Bosak's mouth say "We will reject all this European nonsense like climate policy, the European Green Deal, the migration pact and much more". Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, whom president Trump herself called a "fantastic woman", sees disastrous effects in the current form of Green Deal. Donald Tusk calls for a softening of European climate policy and for different priorities to be set over environmental care. In most European countries, utmost right-wing parties are growing, which argue progressive climate policy. This calls into question the future approach to the environment and climate in the EU.

Of course, it is not that all political decisions made in Europe coincide with what Trump proposes. Not in all sphere of life we are moving to the right, but it is simply a phenomenon to be paid more attention to. any of these issues are dictated not so much by changes among politicians, but by changes in the planet around us, specified as fresh defence and safety challenges. In the face of expanding tensions and crises, specified as the war in Ukraine, many European states have begun to increase military spending, modernise their armed forces and strengthen NATO cooperation. akin changes can be seen in the approach to energy policy. However, this does not mean that Europe is clearly drifting towards the American right. Centroleft solutions proceed to prevail in many areas, especially as regards promoting diversity or support for European integration and multilateralism.

Marianna CZMOCHOWSKA

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