Interview with Joseph Daul, EPP President: “Populism has changed the style of political communication by attacking the EU as the only scapegoat for all their problems in the world”

Rising populism across Europe might mean the end of the European project, as more and more politicians blame the European Union for the problems encountered by their countries. Is their claim true? What should be done in order to curb populism and save the EU? Read more on this alarming topic in the interview given by Joseph Daul, the president of the European People’s Party (EPP), to Vladimir Adrian Costea, for Europunkt.

Citeşte versiunea în limba română aici.

Vladimir Adrian Costea: Which are the causes of populism among the political elites of the European Union member states?

I think the causes of populism are numerous and complex. The member states of the EU went through one of the worst economic and financial crisis that started in 2007. Even if we took concrete steps to alleviate the situation and to ensure our economies are strong enough to face other challenges in the future, a lot of people still felt the consequences of this crisis. The populists used people’s difficult economic situation and high unemployment in many member states to blame the EU for all the problems and to incite a nationalist sentiment. People are worse off where populists came to power, like in Greece where the Syriza government reversed its country’s economic growth and wipe out all the efforts achieved by the previous government.

The populists have also blamed globalization for people’s problems. It is true that some people have not felt as fast and as much the recovery wave in Europe. The sense of security and prosperity the populist are selling to people is fake because no country will manage to deal with big problems like climate change or security alone. Reinstating borders or turning to protectionist measures will only hurt more the countries and its citizens than will do them any good.

Which are the principal consequences generated by the phenomenon of populism among the political class?

Populism is a threat to our values: it is a problem not only for the EU, but also for other countries and regions. Populism has changed the style of political communication by attacking the EU as the only scapegoat for all their problems in the world. They base their communication on xenophobic and racist messages, strong words, one-sided stories and many lies.

Populists ask questions which concern the people but don’t offer workable solutions, while at the same time they disregard the diverse reality we live in. They play on the fears and concerns of citizens to advance their own political interests, without offering sustainable solutions to the challenges we face. Populists have a track record of not being able to deliver on any of their promise and a good example is Tsipras government in Greece.

What must the European Union do in the future to reduce the effects of populism among the political elites?

We understand that more needs to be done to fight the disease of populism that is quickly spreading across Europe. Every one of us must strive to explain Europe better to our people in order to unmask the populists’ cheap rhetoric and empty promises. We must defend Europe and tell people that Europe is the solution to the main challenges we face. We must explain that the lasting peace on the continent, free movement of people, capital and services, the euro and the unity that keeps us together in the face of crisis and challenge are just a few successes and advantages we owe to the EU.

We must bring Brussels closer to the national levels and, at the same time, bring people’s concerns to Brussels. Decisions must be taken at the level closest to the citizen, as this is one of main principles of the EPP. The pro-Europeans must gather forces to deliver on concrete problems our citizens are facing,  this means: reasserting control of EU external borders, reducing the influx of migrants into the continent, continue reforming our economies to boost growth and job creation, and improve our social model to bring security and opportunities to every EU citizen.

Finally, there is a need to rebuild the trust of citizens in the EU, which was unfortunately eroded in these difficult years. This can be done by better directing the energies and resources of the Union to big challenges where it can really make a difference. As Commission President Juncker said, the Union should be “big on big things and small on small things”. We must continue to work hard to continue delivering on our promises, replace internal bickering with concrete solutions, and finger-pointing with action.