Μake us preferred on Google First it was communism and revolutions. Then the fascism and Nazism of the interwar period. Later the “Years of Lead” of terrorism.
And now? A mixture of youth protest, militant chaos, and predatory looting spreading from metropolis to metropolis.
Demands? Of course there are demands. But they are clearly not the same in Paris and Marseille, Brussels and Milan, Tirana and Lisbon, Athens and Lille.
Everyone has or invents their own, without them necessarily being connected to one another.
The state’s reaction also differs from country to country. In France, it is obvious the authorities were caught asleep at the wheel on October 17. In Portugal, they clamped down on the protesters from the start. In Greece, the police showed foresight and professionalism.
So far, the problem is mainly France’s. But, as we know from experience, it is all too easy for political exploitation to trigger widespread instability.
We also know that Spain, France, Poland, Greece, Italy, and many states in Germany all have elections coming up in the immediate future.
So it is highly likely the European Council will change both composition and disposition.
On the other hand, Europe is under blatant attack from the extremes, with the far Right and far Left poised to emerge as the major beneficiaries of the riots. After all, they are the inevitable—though largely self-appointed—guardians of order and disorder.
At this point in time, moreover, everyone realizes that a strong Europe is the primary target of both an erratic White House and a destructive Kremlin.
No one is going to lift a finger to protect it from its specter. Far from it. Instead, they will attempt to turn Europe against itself.
Clearly, the problem is that for circumstantial or opportunistic reasons, Europe lacks leadership at a critical moment for its present and future.
And this absence of the will to lead is highlighted above all else by the constant whirlwind of discordant voices and incomprehensible protests without a meaningful counter-argument.
Of course, there may be no single counter-argument, just as there is no one single problem.
On the other hand, the democratic state cannot sit idly by waiting for the good guys to win.
Because we all agree that, in a democracy, the good guys do win, eventually. But when?
