Europe's New Right

Hold the Hitler comparisons. Conservative nationalism may be resurgent in Europe, but the movement is free from Mein Fuhrer's shadow, writes Ian Buruma in a smart Los Angeles Times column. The right's resurgence in countries like Austria and the Netherlands isn't anti-democratic so much as it is populist—a reaction against the entrenched liberal interests that have ruled Western Europe since the Second World War. Xenophobia is rampant, but it is also, crucially, non-violent, and its true target is political elites, not immigrants. "Tolerance, European unity, distrust of nationalism and vigilance against racism are all laudable goals," Buruma writes. "But promoting these aims without discussion, much less criticism, has resulted in a backlash."