Today is the European Election, and apparently, the far-right has made significant gains. This should not come as a surprise. In Western civilization in general, radical ideas have been on the rise. The surge of the far-right in Europe, it can be argued, is a consequence of far-left ideas that have permeated society over the past decade. Extreme situations often necessitate extreme measures. Voting for the far-right is seen as a natural reaction to combat the far-left and its ideologies. It is a need to fight fire with fire. Hopefully, in a near future, these two extreme domains will meet in the center.

One of the biggest complaints among Europeans is illegal immigration. Europeans are typically kind people, but they have reached a point where illegal immigration is harming their way of life. Issues such as a lack of sufficient housing, hospital and school availability, increasing crime rates, religious intolerance, and strain on government welfare systems are major concerns.

It is no secret that Europe is aging, and young Europeans often prefer expensive vacations over building a family. Many prefer pets over children. Consequently, any society living such a self-centered lifestyle will inevitably need to allow immigrants to sustain its population. However, this immigration must be legal and controlled according to each country’s needs. Immigrants should possess skills that contribute to society and integrate smoothly, rather than creating divisions within the community. Immigration, like the internet, is not entirely good.

Often, the term “far-right” is mentioned alongside “patriotism” as if it’s a negative thing. However, the feeling of love, devotion, and a sense of attachment to a country or state should not be seen as a negative sentiment; that is the essence of patriotism. Socialism and communist are left ideas and were significant contributors to the causes of World Wars I and II and gave rise to figures such as Lenin, Hitler, and Stalin. It is up to the public to decide whether the far-right or the far-left has proven more dangerous for the world thus far.

By Luis De Andrade