Afrasianet - Europe is entering the new year amid threats from the wrath of its voters to the disintegration of its traditional political parties, stagnating or slowing major economies, declining birth rates and plunging its eastern flank into a catastrophic war.
Liberal democracies on the continent are under intense pressure from right-wing populist movements, with "extremist" parties now ruling 7 EU member states fully or partially, with consequent frustration over governments' failure to curb immigration, boost jobs and housing and improve living standards.
Alexandra de Hoop Schaeffer, vice president of the German-American Marshall Fund, said: "There is disappointment and a crisis of confidence in this young generation who believe it is not important to live in a democracy unless the government provides public services, a good economy and low energy prices."
Non-judgmental
Germany andFrance, on whose power the continent has long depended, are almost now almost irgoverable, for example, France appointed France's fourth prime minister in 2024 a few weeks ago, and many believe he won't last as long as his predecessor given the country's divided parliament.
In Germany, the fertility rate for 2023 fell to less than 1.4 children per woman, which the United Nations considers "very low", but less shocking than the falling birth rates in Spain andItaly.
An increasingly widening gap
Europe is moving closer and closer to the brink, as the comforting assumptions of the past about social stability, generous welfare benefits, and broad-based prosperity are rapidly fading, deepening anxiety, especially as the Russian threat of defense spending, public finances pressure, and tough choices increase.
To modernize atrophied armies and appease President-elect Donald Trump that the continent bears more of the burden of deterring Russia, European leaders will need to rely on non-existent growth, higher taxes in their already tax-burdened countries, or devour social programs, which for them could mean political suicide.
Alarm bells everywhere
Since the Cold War, Europe has not faced such a threatening security environment, with alarm bells ringing almost everywhere, not only because Moscow has intensified its hybrid war and interfered in elections across the continent, but also because Washington's promise of protection after World War II seems to be at its weakest, especially as Trump prepares to return to the White House.
For these reasons, the Swedish government, driven by fear of Russia to abandon two centuries of neutrality to join NATO, issued a booklet called "In Case of Crisis or War" aimed at helping Swedes prepare for the worst, and Norway and Finland issued similar instructions calling for citizens' union.
The eurozone, plagued by excessive regulation, aging populations and labor shortages, is losing ground to the United States, amid a widening gap that has reflected the disparity between the booming US economy – which is expected to grow by 2.8% in 2024 – and the eurozone's anemic economy, which is expected to expand by just 0.8%.