In Europe, the rise of far-right parties is pushing new agendas into mainstream politics. In a previously unthinkable move, the UK has voted to leave the European Union. Elsewhere, skepticism about the European Union is gaining voter traction for far-right groups, as is discontent over the migrant crisis. Terrorist attacks are fanning the flames of ethno-nationalism. For Western democracies, the pendulum is swinging from a historical emphasis on cooperation and connectedness – as political interests converged during globalization – to more insular and populist tendencies. Pessimists fear an erosion of democratic laws and shared social beliefs. In the US and elsewhere, the emergence of a “post- truth” political debate, along with the economic insecurity brought about by technological change,are upending the political landscape.
Did you know?
The proportion of young Americans who believe it is absolutely important to live in a democratic country has dropped from 91% for people born in the 1930s to 57% for those born in the 1980s, according to the Washington Post.
IMD Speaks
Didier Cossin. “Brexit signals a rift between the elite and the rest of the population.” IMD, July 2016.
Didier Cossin. “Brexit signals a rift between the elite and the rest of the population.” IMD. July 2016. (accessed 26 October 2017). The Washington Post, as cited in David Brooks. “The Crisis of Western Civ.” The New York Times. 21 April 2017. (accessed 30 October 2017). Arturo Bris. “The falling star called democracy.” IMD March 2017. < www.imd.org/research- knowledge/articles/the-falling-star-called-democracy/ > (accessed 27 November 2018).
