Christopher J, Kremidas-Courtney
Senior Visiting Fellow, European Policy Centre
Associate Fellow, Geneva Centre for Security Policy
Senior Lecturer, Institute for Security Governance.
Donald Trump and Elon Musk have only been in the White House for one week and already people across the democratic world are exhausted by his early attempts to tear down the US government and the world order. While his “shock and awe” campaign seems to be working on many people, its vital that leaders and policymakers in Europe learn key lessons from the United States lest similar leaders come to power and tear down democratic institutions the same way.
The first lesson is to heed Tim Snyder’s warning; “Don’t obey in advance.” Trump was only in office for three days before EU member state leaders started to change their positions on human rights. Giving up Europe’s agency so easily means we lack faith in our ability to decide our own future.
Offer a clear vision of a future people can believe in. Saying you want to defend democracy is being translated by voters as wanting to maintain the status quo, with all its injustices and inequality. If you spend most of your time defending the status quo, you play into the hands of far-right populists and lose the faith of your progressive supporters. Almost no one today wants to maintain the status quo but, in the US, the far right was seen as pushing to change the status quo while centrists and progressives were seen trying to preserve it. For democracy in Europe to survive, we must offer a new vision of the future that people can believe in, support, and fight for.
Stay united, refuse to be bullied, and don’t sacrifice the most vulnerable in the name of political expediency. Its only days into the new administration in the US and we’re already seeing transgender people being thrown overboard the same way Europe gave up Austria and the Sudetenland in 1938. Giving up Europe’s values and unity so easily indicates that we only believed them when it was easy to do so. We must stand in solidarity with the vulnerable and stand firm in our values when situations are difficult and dire. Banning platforms that spread hateful ideologies is also a vital step in protecting European democracy.
Stay focused on your plans and goals, not the Trump circus. Trumpism relies on hoarding our attention which allows them to set the agenda. Don’t give populists and fascists the attention they crave, don’t give them the headlines, and don’t let them set the debate. Instead, make decisions which maximize the agency of democracy, human rights, justice, and European unity.
Ignore provocations and stay focused on what you were elected to do for your citizens. As the saying goes, if you mud wrestle with pigs; you’ll get dirty, and the pig enjoys it. Getting into public fights with Trump and his cronies in Europe and clapping back may feel good in the short term, but they cost you precious time, energy, and political capital.
Watch what they do, not what they say. Save most of your energy for addressing what Trump and his far-right allies in Europe do, not what they say.
Don’t let them define the terms of the debate. When they say woke, we say civil rights and decency. When they say excessive regulations, we say protecting citizens. When they say climate hoax, we talk about the actual impacts of climate change and remind them that while they may not believe in it, their insurance companies certainly do.
Resist the temptation to respond with nationalism. It may be tempting to respond to Trump’s aggressive nationalism with your own take on nationalism, since certain voters will love you for it. But responding to nationalism with more nationalism is a race to the bottom where antidemocratic forces want to take us – a place where our people hate the people on the other side. Never forget that Hitler’s first victims were Germans, Assad’s were Syrians, and Trump’s are Americans.
Don’t repeat the disinformation narrative when trying to debunk it. You lend credence to it by repeating it and recordings of your words can be edited to show you confirming the lie. Refute and debunk falsehoods without giving any oxygen to the disinformation you are addressing.
For the press:
Don’t normalize extremist movements and politicians. Have the courage to tell the truth, even if it costs you access to antidemocratic political figures. The American media enabled Trump’s rise and return by replacing journalistic objectivity with “bothsideism.” This practice sees two sides to everything and tries to find a middle path, no matter how extreme, cruel, or dangerous one side may be. This false equivalence leads citizens to see both sides as equal and serves to normalize extremist movements and politicians.
Platforming and speaking in genteel euphemisms about extremist movements only serves to legitimatize them. Don’t make the mistake the American media did; sometimes a fascist is just a fascist.
For citizens:
Take it one moment at a time, not one day at a time. The next four years will be exhausting and gut-wrenching. So, the best way to approach it is not one day or one week at a time, but one moment at a time. And in each moment, make a conscious choice to do the right thing, then the next right thing, and the next. Think of the most vulnerable person you know and make choices which support their interests.
No matter how bad it gets, resist pessimism and find hope where you can. Exercise your agency, build and nourish a supportive community, and dare to be optimistic. Pessimism reinforces feelings of helplessness. Coercive control and learned helplessness are the bread and butter of domestic violence…and fascism. Knowing you’ll get through this helps us all get through this.
In an era of cruelty, be kind. Populism and fascism are fueled by grievances (real or imagined) to justify their anger and cruelty. The social media platforms which perpetuate their ideologies also rely on fear and anger to keep people engaged. In this atmosphere, kindness is a superpower. So instead of feeding an atmosphere of hatred and bitterness, choose to be polite, kind, and compassionate in our everyday encounters.
Rebuild and renew in-person relationships and community. Far right billionaires have captured the digital agora, so most of it is no longer a safe place for our personal relationships, interactions, and community building. A digital life is also a surveilled life. Build the center of your community in the analog world and find safer platforms to connect with other people and groups that support democracy, equality, and justice.
Have the courage to bear witness and not look away. Disengaging only creates more space for anti-democratic forces to exert their will.
Resist before resisting is the only choice you have left. Stand in solidarity with the vulnerable. Resist on behalf of others who are less privileged. Resist on behalf of a future without fear, hatred, and bitterness.
When your leaders talk about values, ask them to describe them in a positive vision of the future that people can believe in, support, and fight for.
Take time to rest, reflect, and find joy. Building a future we can all believe in is a marathon, not a sprint. Instead of quitting, take a rest and reflect on your choices. Get into nature – the human reset button. Find joy in the simple things in life which fascism cannot destroy. The quality of light on a winter day, the color of a tree trunk, or the joy of a warm cup of tea. If you can’t find joy, find a way to create it. Joy is the fuel of the human soul and it’s just as contagious as anxiety.
Turn to your communities for strength. Identify your values so you know what you are standing up for. Lock arms with the vulnerable. Stand tall. Give a helping hand. This shall pass if we remain faithful to our values and communities – and take action to build a future we all want.
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” ~ Dr Martin Luther King Jr.