The rise of renewed white nationalism in Europe began before Trump entered the political arena, and for a brief time after his election he seemed so completely disreputable that even the likes of Marine Le Pen, in France, were not comfortable with him. But those days are past, and Trump—along with Russian President Vladimir Putin, as it happens—is seen as an inspiration for demagogues from Nigel Farage in Britain to Matteo Salvini in Italy and Viktor Orbán in Hungary.
Their common ambition is to dispense with the shared values that the Americans, Canadians and Brits here at the Normandy Beaches fought for—although of course they don’t put it that way—and to weaken if not destroy the institutions built to make sure such a war would never be repeated.
The Trumpists of Europe say they are defending the greatness of their own cultures, but they can only do that by portraying others as inferior and threatening. They thrive on fear. They demean the worshippers who do not share their dogmas. They stifle free expression. They claim that these “foreign” forces and influences will leave their people wanting for jobs and services.
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