[continued from previous message]   
      
   Europe, populists echo Donald Trump’s dangerous belief that the   
   continent will be safer if it is less united, and if each state pursues   
   its national interests. They also show a blinkered weakness for the   
   autocrats in Russia and China. Vladimir Putin must be cheering them on.   
   National elections are 18 months away in France, due in March 2029 in   
   Germany and as late as August 2029 in Britain. Much can change in that   
   time. If mainstream politicians spend it shrilly demonising populists,   
   they will doubtless make themselves feel better, but they will not help   
   their countries. They would be wiser to subject governments-in-waiting   
   to the democratic scrutiny they deserve. ■   
      
   -----------------------   
   By Edward Carr Deputy editor The Economist. Think back to the   
   presidential campaign Joe Biden (and then Kamala Harris) fought against   
   Donald Trump. The Biden camp’s clinching argument was supposed to be   
   that Mr Trump was a threat to democracy and the Republic. It didn’t   
   wash: Mr Trump took back power with a bigger share of the vote than in   
   2016, when he beat Hillary Clinton. I was reminded of all that in our   
   cover package on the European populist right this week. As we report,   
   support for the Alternative for Germany, National Rally and Reform UK is   
   surging. In response, the very respectable leaders of Britain, France   
   and Germany have warned of the catastrophe facing Europe. Just last   
   week, Britain’s prime minister, Sir Keir Starmer, told Zanny Minton   
   Beddoes, The Economist’s editor-in-chief, that Reform UK was a challenge   
   to “the very essence of who we are as a nation”. The doctrines of the   
   populist right do indeed contain much to condemn. Yet talking about them   
   in apocalyptic terms is destined to fail. The doom-mongering of   
   mainstream politicians smacks of an attempt to draw attention away from   
   their own failures in office. Given the strikingly normal way Giorgia   
   Meloni is running Italy, their apocalyptic predictions are not credible.   
   For their own sake, and for the good of their countries, mainstream   
   politicians and their supporters urgently need a different approach. On   
   the Insider show this week, Zanny and I debate China’s rise with two of   
   our experts, David Rennie and Alice Su. This year we have run a series   
   of covers on China’s successes—in artificial intelligence, green tech   
   and industries such as pharma and driverless taxis. We have also said   
   that it is winning the trade war against America. In the show we assess   
   China’s economic and geopolitical power, before probing its strengths   
   and weaknesses. You can watch us now on the Insider hub.   
      
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    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)