has much stronger democratic institutions and systems to push back.
I strongly doubt that (the US system of checks and balances isn’t weak; it’s just thoroughly compromised), but also even the strongest fort is useless without soldiers to defend it. These systems are meant to help the elites protect liberal democracy; defensive democracy is useless (or outright counterproductive, see Germany and Palestine solidarity) if the elites don’t want to use it. There are ways for the masses to protect democracy, but those don’t happen in courts and legislatures.
Brexit had a backlash
Sure, but it doesn’t seem to have discredited its far right backers.
AfD winning would show how shit they are to other countries.
Never expect rightwingers to meaningfully engage with reality. If real-life demonstrations were enough, Trump’s victory would’ve destroyed all far-right politics everywhere. That said I’m not arguing that all European countries will go fascist, only that enough will do so that Europe as a whole will lose most of its international influence. There’s no way Britain or France for example can compete with Russia or China on the international relations front (France in fact is failing right as we speak in West Africa); it takes the whole EU to keep Europe a world power player.
I strongly doubt that (the US system of checks and balances isn’t weak; it’s just thoroughly compromised), but also even the strongest fort is useless without soldiers to defend it. These systems are meant to help the elites protect liberal democracy; defensive democracy is useless (or outright counterproductive, see Germany and Palestine solidarity) if the elites don’t want to use it. There are ways for the masses to protect democracy, but those don’t happen in courts and legislatures.
Sure, but it doesn’t seem to have discredited its far right backers.
Never expect rightwingers to meaningfully engage with reality. If real-life demonstrations were enough, Trump’s victory would’ve destroyed all far-right politics everywhere. That said I’m not arguing that all European countries will go fascist, only that enough will do so that Europe as a whole will lose most of its international influence. There’s no way Britain or France for example can compete with Russia or China on the international relations front (France in fact is failing right as we speak in West Africa); it takes the whole EU to keep Europe a world power player.