Third Year Hon. Mention: The Rise of the European Right: Euroscepticism, Neoliberalism, and the Migrant "Crisis"

POLS 3521, European Union: Integration and Disintegration. CD: Heather MacRae.

Abstract

Through an extremely thorough, logical, well-reasoned argument, this author effectively traces the growth of European right-wing nationalistic policies and situates them squarely in the economic crisis of the 1970s. By following the European Economic Community’s shift from a Keynesian approach to balancing labour and capital through judicious government intervention to the EU’s implementation of neoliberalist policies which prioritize free market values, privatization, and deregulation, the author demonstrates how the diminishment of the welfare state has led to both increased expenses and reduced income among a populace all too ready to find a solution in ultra-nationalism and a scapegoat in immigrants/migrant workers. The compelling conclusion of this insightful paper reminds us of both the fragility of liberal values in the face of economic hardship, and the ease with which a populist right can emerge and thrive unless nations ceaselessly review and assess their policies to retain their values, their relevance, and, ultimately, their survival. This author’s thoughtful and skillful treatment of such an important topic must be acknowledged and most honourably mentioned.