To fight the far-right, we must bring virtue back into politics

After Italy's General elections results are out, once thing becomes clear: we moderates and progressists must bring back lost virtues into politics. Only then can we stand against reactionaries.

The results of this weekend’s election in Italy are straightforward. Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy) is the strongest party in the parliament and its leader Giorgia Meloni is expected to become Italy’s first female prime minister.

If you don’t know who the Brothers of Italy are, here is a translation of the French Wikipedia page of the party:

The party presents itself as a right-wing movement, advocating sovereignty, anti-immigration, and the preservation of "national traditions.” While it is well integrated into Italian institutions, it is generally considered by the media and political scientists to be far-right and post-fascist, which the party leadership disputes.

As I wrote last week, Europe is living through a season of opportunities for far-right movements. Today in Itlay. Earlier this month in Sweden. In five years in France? Populist parties are on a trend that many thought would have been over after Macron’s election and Draghi’s nomination at the head of the Italian government.

Yet, far-right parties found renewed strength after the COVID crisis and despite the war in Ukraine.

Below are three ideas that I believe could offer solutions against a worrying trend that burst on Sunday in the transalpine republic.

Stop shaming voters

Humans experience an important sens of belonging. For each community, there are people in and people out. The in are the good guys, the ones you can work with, that you appreciate, that do good. The out are your enemies, your adversaries, those who do not think exactly like you.

For a democrat, it is easy to see how people from the extremes think: everything for us, nothing for the others. The far-right wants all for the “people” (whatever that means for them), and fears it is to be taken away by the “foreigner”, Brussels, or any authority that sees itself above the people.

But are we not also failing in this bias sometimes? There are the good democrats and the bad populists. There are those who are rightfully moderate and those who wrongly failed into the lies and deceits.

These people were once our friends, our family members. How could they betray us? What rotten idea came to their minds to corrupt them so much?

By thinking so, we alienate our fellow citizens from us. They become an enemy we have to fight with political discourses, adversaries that must be ostracised. Thus starts the shaming of far-right voters by those who claim to be of pure hearts.

This is where the biggest strength of the far-right parties comes from: we paste on their voters a label of shame, sometimes ridiculising them. By shaming far-right parties’ voters, we force an identity on them that will encourage them in their support, until they can’t be distinguished from the ideas they perhaps not even would have considered if we gave them the possibility to change their minds.

Understand that vote is only a tiny part of democracy

I am baffled at the number of people which claim that democracy is not working and - if they vote at all - yet consider that their ballot has the answer to all the problems in the world.

To these people, I say: to vote is not enough. Democracy is more than putting a sheet of paper in a glass box every two years and being done with it. Democracy is an act that needs constant care, dedication and thoughts.

Of course, voting is essential, because from the ballots comes the legitimacy of the leaders we elect. But there are other leader, other actors that you did not, and in fact cannot elect.

I’m French. I don’t elect the German Members of the European Parliament, for instance. And yet, they might take decisions that impact me very much: the energy mix of Europe, how to answer to the aggression of a neighboring country, etc.

Am I to accept their decisions without a say? No, I hope my representatives will bargain with them. If I deem it necessary, I could demonstrate. Hell, I can even set up my own political party and bargain with them directly after the next election. But then again, I can’t elect the CEO of major companies, whose decisions still have an effect of the life of so many.

There are so many ways to impact policymaking as a citizen. You could join an NGO or a political party. You could demonstrate or participate in a rally. You could write a newsletter (subscribe to The Beubble!) or develop an expertise in the ideas you believe in.

It’s time for introspection: what did you do, this year, to promote your ideas, and fight against extremism? Did you actively support a cause, or did you simply vote, hoping it would matter? Now that results in Italy are in, will you commit to a cause? Will you replace the angst of the rise of the extremes with political action?

Stop complacency with the extremes

The “right-wing” coalition that had Fratelli d’Italia win included European People’s Party member Forza Italia, of the (in)famous Silvio Berlusconi. This natural alliance signals the end of the cordon sanitaire between the traditional democratic right and the far-right.

This cordon was an important resolution inherited by the teachings of the second world war, the conflict that saw Europe's complete destruction because of the follies of fascist and nazi regimes.

The slow death of the cordon sanitaire also shows the decadence of traditional parties. More interested by the appeal of power, they do not hesitate to ally with reactionary movements. History will remember this treason.

I talked a lot about the right and the far-right, as exemplified in Italy’s winning coalition. What’s happening with France’s left is not better. The NUPES coalition sees the once almighty Parti Socialiste work hand-in-hand with far-left’s France Insoumise, led by Putin-enthusiast Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Pushed into this alliance because of a common hatred of Emmanuel Macron’s policies, the Parti Socialiste and the Greens will vanish into irrelevance, aspired by the vengeful rhetoric of the leader of the far left.

Democrats of all countries, worry. Do not concede to the attraction of power or the hatred of those who do hold the positions you covet. Do not practice with forces you cannot control. Stay true to your funding principles.

And to all of us who despise the extremes and the populists, let’s accept the errors of our fellow citizens. Let’s convince them, with tact and politeness of our views. Let’s inspire them of better hopes. Let’s engage ourselves a little more into the ideas we old dear. Let’s participate in the political debate, instead of passively slide a powerless ballot into its box every once in a while.

Should we put more virtue into politics, we will see soon reap the democratic fruits of our action.