I received the troubling news of Donald Trump's victory as I was writing this article. Trump embodies what former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice calls the "four horsemen of the apocalypse": populism, nativism, isolationism, and protectionism. These forces are on the rise not only in the U.S. but across Europe as well.
Disinformation and polarization have emerged as the true winners of recent elections, fueled by digital platforms operating as de facto oligopolies that dominate what content we see via their vast distribution networks. With Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States, the global situation will undoubtedly worsen. The consequences of his re-election will reverberate both locally and globally.
How do we face this defeat? After taking time to recover, we must set aside our immediate emotions and think clearly. Progressives have the responsibility to stand up and rethink our strategy in the face of this new reality. Reassessing our approach starts with understanding why incendiary messages of hatred, lies, and insults have triumphed over messages that promise a better future.
What makes a populist discourse credible? Whether or not their arguments have a real basis, the concerns of certain social sectors – about the costs of housing, education, groceries, security, and identity – are genuine. Immigration, for example, has become a point of anxiety, especially as the far right exploits this issue to destabilize our democratic systems. Addressing these concerns is not about buying into the far-right's narrative; it's about committing to principled politics that engage with reality.
Our societies are forming new coalitions based on shared emotions. We must understand that addressing these collective emotions – listening to people's fears and frustrations – is crucial to transforming our societies. Our responsibility is to translate this complex mix of indignation into projects that deliver real, substantive change. We cannot allow the far right to dominate public sentiment, shape public narratives, or monopolize people's emotions. We cannot allow the far right to provide the most credible solution to people’s problems, we must listen and provide alternatives that are just as compelling.
The far right represents frustration with the present by longing for an imagined, idealized past: making America great again, glorifying the British Empire before the EU, returning to traditional gender roles, or re-establishing a dominant, unquestioned masculinity. In response, progressive actors must craft narratives and propose programs that provide hope and articulate a shared vision of the future. It is in this vision that we find the strength to rise up.
The neoliberal notion that the state should not obstruct individual advancement overlooks the fact that, in our interconnected world of shared threats and intertwined destinies, individual progress cannot occur without the provision of public goods and services. Progress depends on collective action.
Václav Havel wrote: "Hope is not the same as optimism. It is not the conviction that something will turn out well, but the certainty that something makes sense, regardless of how it turns out." At the European Center for Digital Action, we are committed to this certainty – that we are fighting for what makes sense. Our values, expertise, experience, and commitment are at your service.
We face new challenges ahead, but as the 19th-century American poet Emily Dickinson said:
"We never know how high we are till we are called to rise."