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Opinion&Analysis
Noalternativetoliberaldemocracy?,SamuelAbrahám
comingfromtheMarxistleft;theywereoferingsocialwelfarebenefitswhileatthe
sametimeprotectingprivatepropertyandtryingtoregulate(ratherthansubdue)
thefreemarket.FollowingtheSecondWorldWar,mainstreampoliticalpartiesof
mostWesternEuropeancountries(bothontherightandleft)diferedonlyslightly
intheirsupportforthewelfarestate.
Furtherconfusionisaddedwhencriticsinvariably
Despiterecent
confuseliberalismwithlibertarianism(whosemain
theregion,thereisno
politicalsetbacksin
enemyisthestate)andneoliberalism(thatbasically
reducespoliticstoeconomics).Althoughrelatedto
liberalisminmanyways,libertarianismisbasically
reasontodespair.
anarrowideologicalobsessiontoweakenandrestrict
thefunctionofthestate.Neoliberals,ontheotherhand,
arewearyofanyideologyandmoreinfavourofpoliti-
calpragmatism;themaintaskofpoliticiansandstateinstitutions,accordingto
neoliberals,istoallowfreemarkettotakecareofalltheneedsandillsofsociety.
Aprosperouseconomy,accordingtoFriedrichHayekandMiltonFriedman,issuf-
ficientnotonlyforthematerialwell-beingofsocietybutalsoforfosteringjustice
andfreedom.Paradoxically,mostofthosewhocallthemselvesliberalsinCentral
Europeseethemselves–andareperceivedbyothers–asneoliberalsratherthan
modernliberaldemocrats.
Greatenemyofliberalism
Itisagainstthisbackgroundthatwehavetojudgetherecentdevelopmentsin
CentralandEasternEurope.AlthoughtheilliberaltendenciesofCentralEuropean
nationalistshavebeenpresentsinceatleastthefallofcommunism,therefugee
crisishasmobilisedthefarrightandshownthatradicalgroupsaremorenumerous
herethaninWesternEurope.And,indeed,liberaldemocraciesdonothaveasound
strategytodealwiththerefugeecrisis.Teonlyexcusetokeeptherefugeesoutis
securityandthepreservationofcurrentstandardsofliving.
uTefearthattherewillbenotenoughtogoaround,”asRichardRortyargued
decadesago,isthegreatenemyofliberalismandultimatelyofliberaldemocracies.
Teresultingfeelingofinsecurity,hecontinued,umakespeopleclawbackwhat
thereis,forusebypeople‘likeus’”
.Tisrealandpsychologicalthreatprevents
usfromsharingwithothers,especiallywhenwefeelwemightloseeverything.
TisresponseisparticularlyvalidinrelationtoCentralEurope,wherepovertyis
avividmemoryaswellasthestrongsensethatwhatispresenttodaymaydisap-
peartomorrow.
