[September 06, 2014] Europe is undergoing political movement that has been largely ignored in the United States’ press. The U.S. press does this to Europe now and again. Yet, Europe changes its political landscape rather routinely and has done so since the end of the Dark Ages. Political evolution is often not recognized for what it is until people look back on it years later. The European political movement underway today is what is termed “conservative” or “far right” … but it is actually deeper and more complex than the simple way it has been treated.
For leaders, it is an opportunity to observe this evolution during its adolescence stage. With careful study of the key individual players, those that are most senior, there is much to learn both about leadership of a movement that could be sweeping across the rest of the Western world. In the United Kingdom, the UK Independent Party has gained tremendous support and set off a “political earthquake.”1 In France, the conservative National Front leader just beat the struggling incumbent in a run-off election for the French presidency.2
While much of their popularity has been centered on their opposition to immigration, the movement is more multifaceted. This is where the U.S. press gets it wrong. Regardless of the lack of good analysis here in the U.S., papers in the UK, France, and also Germany give us a better resolution of the issues.
What leaders should pay attention to is how this movement has grown, what the leaders are saying, and how the other opposition parties are losing support. The UKIP and the National Front have taken advantage of the stale and failed economic policies of the more socialist and “left” leaning, incumbent parties. They have also taken advantage of the numerous scandals and falling popularity on the left.
More analysis here later on both the UKIP and NP. This is something anyone involved in politics, regardless of country of origin, can study. It will affect us all, especially across vast North, Central, and South America.
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[1] http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/26/ukip-european-elections-political-earthquake
[2] http://www.ft.com/intl/cms/s/0/6ecbb6c4-34d5-11e4-aa47-00144feabdc0.html#axzz3CUiHxvg8