Tackling populism: Building a European counternarrative

Years of widening inequality, economic hardship and stagnant social mobility have contributed to a populist backlash of destructive ferocity. As the liberal order watches inanely on - gawping with consternation and impotence - the question is: Should we really be surprised?

History has taught us that political crisis is to be expected after economic shock: The Long Depression of the early 1870s nearly saw the election of anti-Chinese agitator Denis Kearney as US president in 1878, whilst the 1929 Wall Street Crash helped precipitate the descent to fascism in Europe.

In similarly monolithic terms, it is often contended that populism 2016-style has its origins in the 2008 Great Recession and its eurozone offspring. In Greece, this explanation is, perhaps, accurate. However, for the rest of Europe, and indeed the US, the picture is more complex, with its roots extending...