In the countries of the European Union, the authoritarian forces are gaining support. Political scientist Michael Zürn on post-fascist Giorgia Meloni, the success of authoritarian populists and the consequences for Europe’s democracies.
Are you afraid of Giorgia Meloni?
Not in front of the person. But if half the population in a founding country of the EU is likely to vote in a strongly authoritarian way, far to the right of what we have previously considered conservative, then that comes close to dividing society like we also see in the US. This puts an enormous strain on democracy.