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Preface
Liberaldemocraciesareunderpressure.WorldwideandinEurope,populist
movementsofvarioustypespromiseprotectionandsecuritythroughisolation
andastrong,authoritarianstate.Withtheirsimplesolutions,theyareheardby
peoplewhoareunsettledbytoday’srapidchangesandsocio-economicupheav-
als.TheEuropeanUnion(EU)isnotexcludedfromthesedevelopments.With
variousunfoldingcrises(finance,immigration,Brexit)andtheEU’sinadequate
responsetothediscontentofitscitizens,nationalismandexclusivismhaverisen
intheEU.Thiscanbeseenfromthesuccessofpopulistpoliticiansinrecentelec-
tions,suchasinGermany,France,Austria,Poland,Hungary,andItaly,toname
butafew.Populistpoliticiansadvocateprotectionismandanti-Islamsentiments,
underminingtheliberalfoundationsoftheEUanditsMemberStates.Currently,
anewpoliticaldividehasemergedinEurope,rangingfromEuropeanidentityand
libertarianspiritontheonehandtotraditionalism,authority,andnationalityon
theother.InHungary,aso-calleduilliberalnationaldemocracy”wasproclaimed;
freedomofthepressandothermassmediawasdemolished,andtheruleoflawat-
tacked.Thiswasaccompaniedbypopularrisesinsocialbenefits,inparticular,an
increaseintheminimumwage.InPoland,thegovernmentisfollowingtheHun-
garianauthoritarianexample,supportedbytheCatholicChurch,andithastried
tomaintainitspowerbyintroducingimprovedsocialbenefits,liketheincreasein
childallowancesandpensions.InRomania,thegovernmenthaschangedcriminal
lawandprocedurallaw,inparticular,toprotectpoliticiansfromprosecutionfor
corruption.InItaly,right-wingpopulistsenjoyedsuccessintheregionalelections
in2019,arguablyendangeringnotonlythestabilityoftheeurobutalsothefragile
collectiveresponsibilityoftheEU.InAustria,theright-wingconservativegovern-
mentstartedacreepingreconstructionofthestate.Withinafewmonths,thedis-
courseonmigrationandwelfarehadtotallyshifted.Moreover,atthebordertoSlo-
venia,theAustrianarmyconductedurefugeegames”
.InSpain,thewealthyregion
ofCataloniaistryingtoachievepoliticalautonomyandavoidsharingitsrelative
wealthwiththepoorerregions.Asaresult,thenewright-wingparty,Vox,received
10.3%ofthevotesintheMay2019elections,mainlybylabellingtheacceptance
ofCatalonia’sindependenceutreason”
.Lastbutnotleast,theBrexitdramastrongly
suggeststhatthegreatEuropeanideaofpeace,solidarityandregionalcohesionis