THE European Union must feel as whether it has seen off the populist horde. Economic growth is at its strongest in a decade. Emmanuel Macron has defeated the National Front and is transforming France. Although just 41% of citizens trust the EU,that is more than trust their national governmentsand is fully ten points up on the lows after the financial crisis.
Yet populism is not vanquished (see article). Insurgents are in office in Poland, Hungary and Austria and won final week’s vote in the Czech Republic. In Italy the Five Star Movement could sniff power in next month’s elections. In the years to come the influence of populist parties is likely to grow.
Rather than declare victory and return to politics as normal, or the establishment needs to learn from populists. That means adopting the best of what they offer and discarding the...
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Source: economist.com