Ana Carbajosa Foreign Policy - June/July 2009 In an article of the Spanish edition of the magazine Foreign Policy, the journalist Ana Carbajosa, analyses an increasingly widespread feeling throughout Europe: fear. Globalisation, terrorism, immigration, social insecurity, climate change and the current economic crisis are making Europeans more and more fearful: “Europeans are frightened” and distrustful of a little promising future. The economic crisis has revived old fears and thousands of Europeans have demonstrated against governments and politicians claiming new economic, and security measures. This goes hand in hand with the increasingly wide support to far-right, anti-EU and populist parties in the European elections (see article below) and the upsurge in racism all over Europe (very recently more than a hundred Romanian immigrants in Northern Ireland were forced out of their homes after xenophobic attacks). Ana Carbajosa makes reference to the book, Immigrants: Your Country Needs Them, where the author, Philippe Legrain, explains that the angst during an economic crisis has been historically expressed through the refusal of the “outsiders”. The current economic crisis seems to have the same effect, and has propelled another fear that should be mentioned: the fear to lose one’s identity and the need to belong to a particular social group with well-defined frontiers. This, according to the author, has reinforced old fears of a European super-state, without defined borders and that have helped nationalism to spread. It is in this context, she argues, politicians should give hope to a disorientated society. However, the European construction is at its lowest point and there is no Barack Obama in Europe to increase the trust in political institutions. The author concludes that the gravity of the economic crisis, together with scarce and late political reactions and the coverage of the media, will culminate in a state of collective fear that will make citizens turn to nationalist and conservative politics. This might put at risk the open and tolerant Europe that has nourished the dream of a peaceful and prosperous Europe. However, the author adds an optimistic note by arguing that this might also be the chance for the left to reinforce its position and that this might also lead to the strengthening of the civil society against a rather disappointing political class. To read the full article click here.