𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄 𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐂𝐈𝐒𝐌 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐑𝐄𝐌𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐒𝐌 𝐈𝐍 𝐄𝐔𝐑𝐎𝐏𝐄: 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐄𝐌𝐎𝐂𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐘, 𝐑𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐅𝐔𝐓𝐔𝐑𝐄 𝐆𝐄𝐍𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒
𝘋𝘖 𝘕𝘖𝘛 𝘍𝘈𝘓𝘓 𝘍𝘖𝘙 𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘗𝘈𝘎𝘈𝘕𝘋𝘈!
Over the last decades, Europe has presented itself to the world as the continent of peace, progress, and democracy after the horrors of the 20th century. However, beneath that facade of stability, political movements are resurfacing that evoke the worst of our past: fascism and a radical conservatism is taking root with force, especially among the youth.
𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘚𝘌𝘋𝘜𝘊𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕 𝘖𝘍 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘜𝘓𝘛𝘙𝘈𝘊𝘖𝘕𝘚𝘌𝘙𝘝𝘈𝘛𝘐𝘝𝘌 𝘋𝘐𝘚𝘊𝘖𝘜𝘙𝘚𝘌
The appeal of today’s far right lies in its ability to simplify complex problems and offer immediate answers. Economic crises, immigration, inequality, and lack of trust in institutions are instrumentalized by populist leaders who build a narrative filled with fear and resentment. Youth, who should be the most critical, curious, and open-minded generation, are falling into this mirage. Social networks have amplified radical discourses that, with short, emotional, and hate-filled messages, displace critical thinking and replace debate with propaganda.
𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘌𝘕𝘋 𝘖𝘍 𝘈𝘜𝘕𝘛𝘏𝘌𝘕𝘛𝘐𝘊 𝘍𝘙𝘌𝘌𝘋𝘖𝘔 𝘖𝘍 𝘌𝘟𝘗𝘙𝘌𝘚𝘚𝘐𝘖𝘕
Paradoxically, while these movements self-proclaim as “defenders of freedom of speech,” what they promote is selective censorship. It is not a society that is freer, but one in which any opinion that does not conform to their dogmas is immediately singled out, ridiculed, or silenced. We live in an era where dissenting from the far-right discourse not only implies being attacked online, but also suffering repercussions in workplaces, schools, or communities. We have gone from an environment that valued critical thinking, research, and study, to a reality where submission to a party or movement is imposed, rewarding obedience and punishing dissent.
𝘗𝘖𝘓𝘐𝘛𝘐𝘊𝘐𝘈𝘕𝘚 𝘞𝘐𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘛 𝘗𝘙𝘌𝘗𝘈𝘙𝘈𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕, 𝘚𝘖𝘊𝘐𝘌𝘛𝘐𝘌𝘚 𝘞𝘐𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘛 𝘋𝘐𝘙𝘌𝘊𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕
One of the most worrying characteristics of this rebirth of European fascism is the mediocrity of its representatives. Many of them lack academic preparation, intellectual formation, or the ethical grounding necessary to lead a country. They present themselves as “ordinary people,” “close to the people,” when in reality their lack of competence makes them dangerous instruments, incapable of handling the political, economic, and social complexity of our societies. The result is a leadership that does not provide solutions, but fosters division, confrontation, and regression in social and human rights.
𝘌𝘜𝘙𝘖𝘗𝘌 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘕𝘖𝘙𝘔𝘈𝘓𝘐𝘡𝘈𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕 𝘖𝘍 𝘈𝘜𝘛𝘏𝘖𝘙𝘐𝘛𝘈𝘙𝘐𝘈𝘕𝘐𝘚𝘔
In several European countries, far-right parties have ceased to be marginal minorities and have become political forces with real power. The most alarming aspect is that their rise is being normalized: they are invited to debates, integrated into coalition governments, and their discourse is presented as just another political option, instead of recognizing that their roots collide head-on with democratic values. The danger lies not only in their immediate policies but also in the cultural effect they generate: legitimizing hate, discrimination, and the erosion of human rights as acceptable parts of political debate.
𝘞𝘏𝘈𝘛 𝘚𝘏𝘖𝘜𝘓𝘋 𝘞𝘖𝘙𝘙𝘠 𝘜𝘚, 𝘕𝘖𝘛 𝘔𝘈𝘒𝘌 𝘜𝘚 𝘗𝘙𝘖𝘜𝘋
The growth of these movements should not be a source of pride or nationalist celebration. On the contrary, it should awaken fear and reflection. If Europe, which suffered the disaster of fascism firsthand, flirts once again with these ideologies, it means we have learned nothing from our history. That parties built on intolerance and the denial of human rights gain political weight is not a symptom of democratic strength, but of weakness. It is not progress, it is decline.
𝘛𝘙𝘜𝘌 𝘗𝘈𝘛𝘙𝘐𝘖𝘛𝘐𝘚𝘔 𝘝𝘚 𝘔𝘈𝘕𝘐𝘗𝘜𝘓𝘈𝘛𝘌𝘋 𝘗𝘈𝘛𝘙𝘐𝘖𝘛𝘐𝘚𝘔
It is important to remember that loving a country does not mean giving a blank check to far-right parties that proclaim themselves as the only defenders of the homeland. Genuine patriotism is expressed by working for collective well-being, strengthening education, guaranteeing social justice, defending freedoms, and protecting the rights of all people who live in that territory. Voting for an extremist party does not automatically make anyone a patriot; on the contrary, it can be an act that weakens social cohesion and puts at risk the democratic values that truly allow a country to move forward. Confusing exclusionary nationalism with patriotism is to accept a reduced and dangerous vision of love for one’s homeland.
𝘛𝘏𝘌 𝘙𝘐𝘚𝘌 𝘖𝘍 𝘍𝘈𝘚𝘊𝘐𝘚𝘔 𝘈𝘕𝘋 𝘜𝘓𝘛𝘙𝘈𝘙𝘐𝘎𝘏𝘛 𝘏𝘈𝘛𝘙𝘌𝘋
The rebirth of far-right ideology in Europe has also brought with it an alarming intensification of racism, xenophobia, and hatred towards everything that represents diversity. Anti-immigrant movements, fueled by fearmongering and propaganda, depict human beings fleeing wars, poverty, or persecution as invaders, stripping them of their dignity and reducing them to mere political pawns. Alongside this, homophobia and attacks against the LGBTQ+ community have resurfaced as central pillars of these extremist agendas, presenting equality and human rights as threats rather than achievements. This narrative not only undermines social cohesion but spreads a poisonous message: that humanity itself must be divided, categorized, and controlled according to exclusionary standards. Such ideals are not only contrary to modern democratic values but represent a regression to the darkest chapters of our history, where hatred was institutionalized and violence against minorities was normalized.
𝘈 𝘎𝘌𝘕𝘌𝘙𝘈𝘛𝘐𝘖𝘕𝘈𝘓 𝘋𝘐𝘚𝘈𝘗𝘗𝘖𝘐𝘕𝘛𝘔𝘌𝘕𝘛
What is perhaps most disheartening is to witness how younger generations, instead of embodying the spirit of empathy, curiosity, and resilience, are increasingly permeated by resentment and hatred. Online arguments over trivialities escalate into real conflicts, while genuine dialogue and mutual understanding are pushed aside. The very essence of empathy—the ability to place oneself in another’s shoes—is being lost, replaced by blind loyalty to ideologies that demand obedience rather than thought. Logic, research, and the will to question are abandoned in favor of slogans and simplistic answers. It is profoundly sad to realize that all those who once fought for human rights, who were silenced by fascist dictatorships, who died in peaceful protests brutally repressed by authorities, or who perished in genocides rooted in authoritarian regimes and ultraright ideologies, may have sacrificed their lives in vain. Society no longer rises to defend its freedoms; instead, it submits to the very ideals against which so many once fought and died. This betrayal of memory is not just a tragedy—it is a dangerous surrender of everything humanity has struggled to build.
