“We have to be more masters of our destiny. Not because of Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, but because of our children,” said Charles Michael, the council president of the EU, after Trump’s reelection. So why does Europe seem like it is not mastering its “destiny”? As a student who is half-European and has now lived in Europe for 2 months, I would like to say that the idea of Western European political supremacy is a complete myth. It is one of those things that is consistently thrown around to make people feel better about themselves, the countries they live in, and the fact that there is somewhere to escape when the going gets tough. However, the past year, but actually the past few years, should have been a wake-up call to everyone about the reality of this continent’s politics. It is not any better than American politics, and the fact that they weaponize the few human rights objectives that they meet should be very telling about what the governments in Europe believe they can get away with.

If Europe is so ‘progressive’ then why is it so far-right? France has The National Rally, a far-right political party, currently leading the polls at 32%. The party has roots in French nationalism, and immigration control, and has been accused of promoting xenophobia. In the 1970s and 80s, within the first decade of its foundation, it resurrected fascist slogans used in the 30s. More recently, however, it has been infamous for its anti-immigrant stance specifically targeting Muslims and Arabs. In Belgium, the Vlaams Belang party, led by Tom Van Grieken, has also been riding the anti-immigration, anti-environmentalist, Belgian-separatist, ultra-conservative wave. Vlaams Belang is leading the polls with 26%. Do not get me started on the Netherlands, with Geert Wilders, a politician for the Freedom Party, leading the elections with 23.5%, expressing a lot of anti-immigrant and nationalist rhetoric. These are only the ones who are leading the polls, not the ones who are already in government like Italian Brothers of Italy (a far-right, anti-immigrant party with links to neo-fascist ideologies), Croatian Homeland Movement (a far-right, nationalist party which uses Nazi-era chants), and also Alternative for Germany coming second in the elections, with their conservative and nationalist politics.

In the Netherlands, France, Germany, and Greece, pro-Palestinian protestors have clashed with police and gotten arrested in the last 6 months. Amnesty International has also reported on the use of police violence and repressive laws resulting in serious injuries in France, Germany, Greece, Italy, and Spain and the use of excessive force in Belgium, Finland, Poland, Switzerland, the UK, and several Eastern European countries. This is not an issue for just a singular Western European country, this concerns every single Western European country This is the part of Europe that is hailed for its human rights and “progressive” politics. Does it still seem progressive to you?

I do not think that just because a couple of European countries have legalized same-sex marriage, or that now women can wear whatever they want (despite them still getting assaulted the same amount), makes European left-wing or progressive in any way. People in Europe are still complaining that they cannot afford their groceries and that housing is too expensive so they have to live an hour away from the center. Homeless people still exist despite there being more than enough houses for everyone. I still come across anti-immigrant protestors. I still hesitate about which answer to give when people ask me where I am from. Arab women in hijabs still get stared at when walking down the street. People are still scared of the police. The UK strips students of their visas and they get suspended from university because of their political beliefs. How is this what we are praising for being so safe and liberal? I do not think we should be praising countries that are anti-immigrant and xenophobic, regardless of what other slightly leftist politics they have. We cannot benefit from the system if people are attacked, imprisoned, harassed, and made to feel unsafe simply because it is easier than admitting that European politics are harmful. It is far-right and all of the political parties that are leading the races have roots in European history, also one that no one wants to talk about.

So, as Charles Michael’s quote at the beginning of this article said, if the EU really wants to become better “because of our children”, they do not seem to be doing a very good job. People should come to terms with not just Europe’s trajectory, but Europe’s past, and realize that this is not the safe haven they are looking for politically, and Europe should stop being praised for doing the bare minimum.