Philip Stephens notes in the FT this morning that:
The anxious chatter in Europe is about an axis of authoritarianism. Poland is becoming the new Hungary. The analogy is inexact. Viktor Orban, the autocratic prime minister of Hungary, is an embarrassing irritant. Poland is a serious player in the geopolitics of the continent.
His article is subtitled:
Democracy, as often happens with authoritarians, is being redefined as the will of the majority
Stephens is right: what is happening in Poland is worrying. But let's not ignore the threat to democracy is very real in the UK too, and from a government that definitely does not have majority support. As the Guardian notes in an editorial today:
It is normal for a party in power to want to stay there. But there are also protocols that underpin British democracy and an uncodified ethos of fair play that sustains the legitimacy of any electoral system. Taken in isolation, any of the steps this government has taken to avoid scrutiny and queer the institutional pitch against the opposition would be disreputable. Taken as a package, they are downright dangerous.
I agree with that. The threats to democracy, freedom, the right to strike, and to free speech are very high now. And that should be of concern to people right across the political divide.
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There was a good piece on the lurch to authoritarianism in Poland in The Guardian earlier in the week, which ended by the author saying that he’d ask Cameron to speak out about it, but he probably wouldn’t as he was seeking his new EU deal and needs Poland’s support. And I thought at the time, that’s not the reason Cameron wouldn’t speak out. It’s because the same authoritarian tendencies infest this government. In reality we are looking at Hungary, Poland and the UK (or England at least), becoming the most authoritarian countries in the EU within the next few years(or in our case, soon to be outside it, I’d wager).
As usual, we agree
Although I think we may still stay in
But I am not confident about it
And every expert I speak to is predicting a disaster if we leave
Poland is, of course, playing the ‘identity’ card (as the article points out. The Tories do that in Britain to a degree (cf. the ever larger than life Union Jack image flapping behind Cameron at party conference) but because of historical differences that card cannot be played here with such vigour as Poland has an admixture of religion (dangerous flammable combination of course).
That’s why I partly disagreed with both of you (Ivan , Richard) on the issue of the State being shrunk-I think its just expanding in different direction (even if nominal number of employees falls) it simple strengthens laws against union, opposition (funding, boundary changes) and the protection of property rights/corporate interests. Because the state shrinks it’s public services/welfare done not mean it’s domain has shrunk in relation to the above mentioned areas. To use a well worn, loaded expression from economics, it’s a case of ‘contraction expansion.’
I’ve recently done some reading about immediate post war Europe – particularly books dealing with the expulsion of Germans from former occupied territories such as Poland (it explains why my edition of the Joy of Tax is till untouched).
Even ethnic Germans whom had lived in some of these countries for many generations (as opposed to those Germans who were essentially told to emigrate and populate the captured territories by the Nazis) were expulsed when the opportunity arose by countries like Poland, Hungary & Yugoslavia because of a desire to purify their own nations of foreign blood. Most of those expulsed were women and children (and the elderly and sick). Their suffering was terrible – on a par with the misery the Nazis themselves dished out. Other books I have not read go into more detail. An estimate of up to 11.5 million ethnic Germans could have been treated like this. Many died in terrible conditions and it is historically seen in the context of ethnic cleansing.
For anyone sensitive to the holocaust I know these are German people at a certain point in their history but whether they are Jews, Nazis, Gay, straight whatever – as a humanitarian nothing can in my opinion justify any suffering on their part.
Two books I would recommend if you are interested are:
‘Orderly & Humane’ by R. M . Douglas
‘Europe on Trial’ by Istva Deak
There was also a BBC documentary called ‘Savage Peace’ which was to be honest quite shocking and gave a voice to this relatively unknown side of the allied victory.
Why I mention this is that both authors allude that the present day right wing tendencies of Poland and Hungary (even Czechoslovakia) seem to have been affirmed and perpetuated by such expulsions.
Given that we are talking about the more recent past in Central and Eastern Europe, the enmity that the Tories seemed to be able to whip up for example amongst English voters in relation to Scotland during the last election reminds us that these deep rooted resentments lying around are easy pickings for unscrupulous politicians – like the Tories.
And all too often, these resentments are used to throw the electorate off the scent of the need to solve the problems we currently have with economics and big finance – problems that are hurting the very people who fall prey to right wing agitation in the first place.
That is the situation we are in at the moment and why we need our oppositions parties to bring in new politics and stop fighting each other on small differences.
Thank you
It couldn’t possibly happen here.
And, as our politicians rush to condemn these authoritarian measures…
(Note: must find quotes and footage from past and present Front-Benchers, I’m sure there must be some, somewhere)
…We can categorically deny that governments in Central Europe, and elsewhere, who are enacting an increasingly illiberal agenda, are taking their lead from the UK.
Nothing is going to change here until we have electoral reform. FPTP is well beyond its ‘sell by’ date. It has been said that a British PM with a working majority has more domestic power than any other leader in the West, and now with a statutory 5 year term. With current technolgy we could have direct democracy whereby those eligible could vote via bank ATMs on all major policy issues – following a set period of public consultation and information. But I guess that’s another topic for another day. In the meantime be prepared for an extended period of ‘fear mongering’ by the neo-cons because that’s their default strategy and they know it works.
Agreed, especially re the last
Off topic, but this article is another good illustration of the plight of US ex-industrial cities that have been left to bankruptcy by an American government that dare not intervene in the workings of its capitalist economy and market forces – with yet more shocking results on the people left to suffer as well as the natural environment.
If ever was a good example of the dangers of hoping/relying on private capital to be the source of employment and social well being, Flint Michigan is sadly at the top of the list.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/flint-michigan-100000-left-with-water-too-poisonous-to-drink-or-even-cook-with-a6815251.html
Michael Moore’s 1989 documentary is well worth watching for a historical perspective.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nl8oeaWCcw4
Yes there’s an internal threat to freedom and democracy. There always has and always will be. But there’s an external threat from the EU too.
What democracy were the Greek people allowed in 2015? Their two elections and one referendum hasn’t been allowed to change a thing.
Good to see some cross party co-ordination to try to neutralise the Tories in the South West.
A coalition of the left across the UK would seem a sensible approach to secure 2020 under FPTP and then get some serious constitutional changes through to electoral and monetary reform.
http://www.gazetteandherald.co.uk/news/14210249.Liberal_Democrats__Green_and_Labour_members_to__act_together__in_new_initiative/
A serious coalition is needed but will not happen whilst Labour has a rule that at no level can any party branch have an electoral pact with another party.
I agree
That rule needs to be changed, urgently
The UK Government is looking more like an elected dictatorship everyday!
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/government-accused-of-waging-war-on-parliament-by-forcing-through-key-legal-changes-without-debate-a6820176.html
Agreed