Original title: Refugee Crisis and the Vicious Spiral of Populism

Author: [Spain] Joel ho · Agusta Pedro (Spanish writer)

Since entering 2018, despite the initial control of the number of refugees flowing into Europe, the refugee crisis has far from subsided. Not only have EU member states quarreled over issues such as refugee quota allocation and responsibility sharing, but some populist parties have used "anti-immigration cards" to win voter support, constantly challenging and impacting traditional mainstream parties. The refugee problem and populism are forming a vicious spiral in Europe.

Three kinds of train chaos

Due to the erratic attitude towards the large number of refugees trying to enter the country and the rough management that followed, Europe is now plunged into a wave of political turmoil. Europeans are playing a contradictory game: on the one hand, we show the most generous faces to the refugees and make a grand welcome statement, but there is no detailed resettlement plan; on the other hand, we violate our treaty and use thorn The fence prevents it from entering.

This confusion is dangerous because if we have a mature plan, even if the plan is flawed, we can correct it. But without a plan, it will only harm refugees and threaten the stability of European countries.


It is not surprising that the behavior of European countries is disorderly. Because the EU lacks cohesion despite having a loud name. It is like a three-speed train operated jointly: a high-speed train composed of Germany-led Central and Northern European countries, and its considerable per capita income allows it to invest heavily in public utilities. Their economic strength allows them to lead the EU, but they do not respect other allies very much and like to give orders.

The other column is low-speed freight trains representing Eastern European countries. Their political and economic conditions are more difficult. They receive EU economic assistance and their industries are underdeveloped. They are resilient, but their internal "trauma" is the root cause of all problems and still needs treatment.

Finally, there is the Southern European countries-chaotic long-distance trains that change their destination at any time and are not punctual. The main source of its economy is tourism, the people are born optimistic, happiness is the core of its value, but excessive liberalism.

Composed of such disparate members, one can imagine how complicated it is to implement the directives of the European Parliament: the European Union has rules, but the member states do not comply. The rules that benefit high-speed trains do not apply to the other two types of trains, and vice versa. This makes the development of the EU slow and inefficient.

The growth of populism

Neoliberal theorists often forget that they do not live alone on earth. The refugees carried the hunger and fear brought by the war and opened the door to Europe. At first, Europeans thought that refugees could not cross the Mediterranean, and as a result, refugees came in thousands.

This situation is completely beyond the aid capacity of the EU. The EU has no other way but to inject funds, but the amount of funds is not unlimited. Traditional European politicians are frightened by the rising popularity of populist parties in opinion polls. The issue of refugee acceptance ultimately split the positions of the EU countries, and populism took the opportunity to grow. Far-left and far-right populism have the same interest in taking advantage of this crisis.

Traditional European populist leaders have seen interest in refugee issues, which is why their media has focused on this humanitarian crisis time and time again. They criticized local government initiatives to weaken public trust in the government. However, they have no solution to the refugee problem, and all they do is to seize power. They obviously know that the refugee problem cannot be solved by individual actions of various countries, and it needs everyone to work out strategies to solve it.

On the other hand, far-right populists believe that every refugee is a potential criminal. They will snatch our jobs. They hate our country. Their purpose here is to enjoy our social assistance and welfare in their lifetime.

It is undeniable that the gap between Europeans and refugees from the Middle East and Africa exists objectively. The lack of understanding between them alienates the two, and there are also differences in religious beliefs. Europeans fear that the practice of refugees will affect Europe, especially with regard to women ’s rights. They believe that the characteristics of Europe are being eroded, that refugees are a burden on society, and worry that Europeans will lose in the conflict between the two civilizations.

The way out

Due to the dismal support of the people, governments led by traditional political elites in various European countries are facing challenges, and the refugee crisis negotiations are further complicated. No ruling party wants to take a step back, for fear of losing the confidence of the basic voters. Then, when the situation did not seem to get worse, the European Union hit even harder: the European power Britain called for Brexit because of concerns that immigration pressure on its labor market and social assistance mechanisms would end its prosperity.

The EU is facing an extremely complicated situation: our pride requires us to impose harsh conditions on the departure of our partners, but at this time, the Trump administration on the other side of the Atlantic has launched a trade war against the EU, and it is not a smart decision to enemies . Today, the negotiation atmosphere between the European Union and the British government has calmed down, but many Europeans are concerned that this weak way of negotiation will fuel the separatist movement within the EU.

After this victory of populism, the leaders of traditional political parties tried to win some populist voters. Merkel was forced to sign an emergency agreement with EU member states that clearly harmed his personal interests. Many analysts believe that this is a turning point in Merkel's political populism. Southern Europe takes its own course, and Eastern Europe does not want to talk about refugees or to follow German command. Faced with doubts about her leadership from within the country and within the EU, Merkel realized that this time she really might step down, so she tried her best to save, but still in crisis.

Spain has not escaped the refugee tensions that plagued Europe. Public opinion mediated by populism is in the polarization of "good and bad". Some are willing to assist refugees, others are against it. I think that discussing "good and bad" does not solve the problem. The refugee problem can be summarized in three points: 1. All people should be treated fairly; 2. Faced with famine and wars in the underdeveloped countries, the first world countries must intervene; 3. Assistance beyond their own ability can cause disaster . Therefore, timely rescue of refugees should be done, but a series of plans must be implemented and strictly implemented. The most important thing is to have sufficient economic capacity. However, the economy of most European countries is sluggish. Right now, we should ask ourselves: What luxury are we willing to give up to save lives? (This article was translated by Liu Mei)