Too Late to Ride the Populist Wave: Elites, Social Media, and the Crisis of Europe’s Centrists

Populism is on the rise throughout Europe because the elites are finding it increasingly difficult to control social media. This emerges from an interview with Bloomberg given by the President of the European Central Bank, Christine Lagarde. As can be heard in the clip below, Lagarde attributes the dramatic rise of populism across Europe to “conspiracy theories” circulating on social media.

For a moment, I thought she was referring to my site. Yet, despite the vast sums spent by the elites on mainstream media to discredit those who challenge their narrative, Europeans are clearly refusing to be convinced. The result is the steady growth of what are labelled as “populist” movements.

?7Now the so-called PPE wants to come to terms with them, after having waged political wars and relentless campaigns against individuals who, honestly and without personal interest, believed they were defending the people’s cause. But I think it is now too late for the so-called centrists, particularly the local PN, to try to ride the populist bandwagon. Their long-standing hostility towards these movements has stripped them of any credibility to suddenly present themselves as their allies or interpreters.