Great Decisions discussion on populism in Europe

The final Great Decisions program of the year at Monmouth College will focus on “The Rise of Populism in Europe.”

Lecturer Annie Moore, who teaches French at the College, will introduce the topic at 7:30 p.m. March 27 in Room 276 of the College’s Center for Science and Business.

Mass migration, and the problems associated with it, have directly abetted the rise of populist parties in Europe. Opposition to immigration was the prime driver of support for Brexit, it brought a far-right party to the German Bundestag for the first time since the 1950s, and populism propelled Marine Le Pen to win a third of the vote in the French presidential election.

In addition to calling for stronger borders, however, these parties are invariably illiberal, anti-American, anti-NATO and pro-Kremlin, making their rise a matter of serious concern for the national security interests of the United States.

Called “America’s largest discussion program on world affairs,” Great Decisions is a nationwide program sponsored by the Foreign Policy Association, a non-partisan, non-governmental association that works to increase Americans’ understanding of foreign policy issues.