In the momentous morning of November 23rd, Europe trembled at the triumph of the far right in the Netherlands, a devastating blow to democracy in the old continent that evoked the bitter memory of January 20th, 2017.
In the intricate European political landscape, various forces, whether occupying government or backing it from the shadows, emerge as main actors, imposing their agenda on crucial issues such as immigration, European integration, and minority rights. This disturbing phenomenon observes how their positions are politically normalized, largely thanks to the center-right.
The legend’s narrative tells that there once was a wolf in a forest full of bulls. Every day, it would hunt patiently until finding the right prey. One day, it decided to change its strategy and attack the bulls.
The battle raged at dawn, but the lion, despite its strength, was repelled by the bulls.
The next day, the wolf apologized to the bulls, expressing its regret. It argued that its intention was to protect them from a pack of wolves outside the forest. It warned them about the white bull, whose bright color attracted the wolves, and proposed sacrificing it to preserve the herd’s safety.
Threatened and frightened, the bulls accepted the wolf’s proposal and presented the white bull as a feast. The wolf devoured the white bull as the herd watched in horror.
Hungry again, the wolf invented the presence of a yellow bull visible from the mountain. Without hesitation, the bulls presented one of them as the yellow bull.
One day, when few remained, a bull realized the truth. It stood up and shouted that the wolf was devouring them one by one. In response, the wolf threatened to eat the bull to prevent it from alerting the herd.
Today, the far right is normalized from Italy with Meloni to Hungary with Orbán, participating in coalition governments in Finland, sustaining the government externally in Sweden, and consolidating as the second political force in Germany with AfD. In Austria, the radicals continue to rise; in Poland, Law and Justice obtained 35% of electoral support; and in France, Le Pen has been part of the system for some time. In Spain, Vox normalizes its positions under governments led by the PP, and in Portugal, Chega aspires to be decisive in the formation of the government after the March elections. Sanitary cordons are no longer effective, placing conservative and Christian democratic rights in a critical situation, forced to collaborate with these forces or being absorbed by them, as happened in France and Italy.
The bull’s courageous response to the wolf resonated: “Today is not the day of my death, I have been dead since the day I let you eat the white bull.” On January 20th, 2017, Donald Trump ascended to power in the White House.
