THE recent elections in Sweden have witnessed the rise of the far-right, anti-immigrant Sweden Democrats. The party of Jimmie Akesson represents the far-right wave that has been sweeping across much of Europe.

From the edges of Europe in Austria, Slovakia and Greece to the continent’s heartland in Germany and France, the anti-establishment, conservative, radical right is becoming popular. The emergence of neo-Nazi groups in Germany, Italy’s Northern League, the Austrian Freedom Party, Order and Justice in Lithuania, the Golden Dawn in Greece – the examples are endless.

This is not a new thing. The new thing is the wide support for anti-immigration, anti-establishment and xenophobic slogans, showing how wide-ranging and deep this sentiment has grown across Europe.

At the heart of this populist wave is the drive to preserve the identity of the majority white, Christian and mono-culture European societies. It is a backlash against globalisation, multiculturalism, and immigration, from Muslim countries especially. The ideas that served as the foundation for peace, democracy, human rights, and economic interdependence have been put in jeopardy.

Will Europe succumb to this alarming trend, or can it still be contained?

Dr Ahmad Hassan Chatha

Lahore

Published in Dawn, September 25th, 2018