By: Olivia Sherman, News Writer
Kurt Hübner is the chair of German and European studies at the University of British Columbia. His lecture with SFU, Europe on the Brink: The Rise of Right-Wing Populism, discussed the rising trends of right-wing ideology in Europe and some of the reasons these ideas and values are on the rise.
“Something is changing,” Hübner explained. “And it’s happening simultaneously: not in one country, but many countries in Europe.”
The concept of populism is, as Hübner explained, the idea that “society is separated into two homogenous groups: the ‘pure’ people, and the elites.” This group of elites aren’t necessarily in positions of political or economic power. As long as “you have a distinction between ‘them’ and ‘us,’” Hübner said, populist ideology is present.
According to Hübner, right-wing populists believe the outside group of elites are “causing all the problems,” and their goal is often to “protect the interests of the white, homogeneous, group of citizens in your country.” This is why many of the people deemed as an “other” in this equation are people of colour and marginalized members of European society, such as immigrants and refugees.
Hübner described the concept of a “polycrisis,” where so many problems are happening simultaneously, and it creates a sense of stress on people and their governments. This stress can lead people to “find fast and easy answers” within political parties and ideologies that seemingly answer any problems that arise. These are the right-wing populist parties Hübner speaks of, who “claim to speak in the name of the ‘pure’ people, and they identify the causes or the problems [ . . . ] that are produced or caused by the elites,” such as issues with the economy, migration, climate change, and the ongoing energy crisis in Europe. While “democracies are dying slowly,” these autocratic parties are growing in number and in support.
An example of this, Hübner explained, is Sweden’s stance on immigration. Sweden introduced “extremely harsh laws” that restrict “any kind of refugee status” for newcomers to the country. Refugees are aware of this, Hübner said, and apply for asylum elsewhere.
“It’s also this kind of policy of, ‘We keep us safe, we keep our interests safe, we build this kind of wall around us, and others have to deal with the problem’ [ . . . ] that’s very much the policy of these rising populist parties.”
Hübner used the example of Germany’s Alternative for Germany party, a right-wing political party that originally stemmed from its stance against the euro as Germany’s currency. In recent years, the party has taken an increasingly right-wing and militant approach against immigration. The bloc has a current electoral sitting of 22% in Germany.
“About half of the global population has the opportunity to hand in their vote in an election,” in 2024. “I try to make the case that you don’t need those right-wing populist parties in government [ . . . ] I don’t think Europe is on the brink, but what I try to show you is that it’s moving toward it.”
