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DemocracyatRisk…
Rightwingpartiesmadeuseofdistrustevidentinthesepolls,criticisingboth
parliamentandtraditionalpartiesfortheirneglectofissueslikeimmigration
whichisidentifiedasbyfarmostimportantconcernofrespondents.Populistpar-
tieswereabletoexploitmarkedincreasesinmigrationinmanyEUmemberstates
withalarmistandxenophobicpropagandawhichresonatedparticularwithpoorer
householdsthatwereoftencompetingforhousingandemploymentwithmigrants.
Thesituationworsenedwiththesuddeninfluxofrefugeesin2015(Figure1.3).
Figure1030NewasylumapplicationsinthousandsintheEU
Source:Eurostat,20190
Ontheonehand,therewereimpressivesignsofwelcomefromsomestateau-
thoritiesandfromcivilsocietyinfaceoftheplightofrefugees,inparticularinGer-
many.However,thepicturehaschangedinthemeantime.Populistpartiesandother
right-wingorganisationsmakemuchofmediastoriesofcriminalityamongyoung
North-Africans,ofsupposedlyhigherhealthandsocialbenefitsformigrantsandthe
associatedburdenonGermantaxpayers.Migrants,as‘Others’-particularlythose
withdistinctiveculturesandreligiousbeliefs-provideconvenientvehiclesforthe
mobilisationofxenophobichatredandthemarketingofsimplisticpopulistmessages.
1020Democracy,nationalismandpopulism
InWesternEurope,aftertheSecondWorldWar,theeffortsofrepresentatives
oflegal,political,philosophicalsciencesandmanypoliticalleadersfocusedon
buildingsuchdemocracythatwouldpreventtherecurrenceofextremeformsof