Democracies must resist the “renationalisation of politics” in order to survive the threats posed by “technological and economic forces and growing populist tendencies.”
This warning from Secretary General Thorbjørn Jagland was at the heart of his speech today to the Congress of Local and Regional Authorities.
“It is even more important that we insist upon the compliance with democratic norms and values,” he said. “In the same way a market benefits from some regulation, our democracies need standards and values, checks and balances.
“The European project is experiencing turbulence. Many speak about bringing decisions home. The “renationalisation” of European politics, of our common achievements, is still a real threat.
“As I have said on many occasions, the old ghost of nationalism is again visiting our Continent. Nationalism always comes from something bad and always leads to something even worse.”
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