Nations don't want to be treated like children
A response to Samuel Abrahám
Far more frightening than populism in Europe is its citizens' belief that the EU is the answer to national problems. We live in a Europe where the new member states must develop sufficiently in order to fully participate. Indeed, one can say that an institutionalized democracy is not a long-term experience for Poland, Slovakia or Hungary. According to this logic, these countries should humbly accept lessons from more experienced states.
However the opposite is the case: radical political language is often much more common in "mature" systems like the Netherlands or France.
Discussion
Samuel Abrahám
Can the EU defend itself – against itself?
Éva Karádi
Still tending our own gardens
Marek Seckar
The EU is not a sacred cow
Wojciech Przybylski
Nations don't want to be treated like children
I believe that nation-states have enough instruments, ranging from public opinion to constitutional tools, against such threats. Especially those that are entangled in a net of international agreements and economic relationships. Moreover, I consider lack of such belief dangerous to democracy itself. Having just escaped from the political rhetoric of moral ends in Poland under the twin rule, I feel relieved. Nonetheless, I would again be frightened if any supranational body with no responsibility to citizens but to governments only suddenly interfered with the politics of Kaczynski. Nations don't want to be treated like children, even if they behave as such.
The question is not about finding systemic solutions against populism, but making good political decisions despite its permanent presence in politics.
Taken from a special English language edition of Res Publica Nowa, published with the support of the International Visegrad Fund
Published 2009-10-23
Original in English
Translation by Magdalena Janik
First published in Res Publica Nowa V4
Contributed by Res Publica Nowa
© Wojciech Przybylski / Res Publica Nowa
© Eurozine













