In Italy, Ms. Meloni proposed changing the constitution to automatically give the party with the most votes (now her Italian brother party) 55 percent of the seats in parliament. She said it would make Italy’s government more stable, but her opponents fear it could also create opportunities for future dictators.
Following Orbán’s approach would face strong constitutional resistance in France because of France’s strong attachment to freedom and human rights, enshrined in the 1789 Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen. But if the national rally takes control of the president and parliament, all bets are off.
“Normalizing the right does not necessarily make it less extreme,” said Ms. Tocci, an Italian political scientist. “If restrictions are eased, perhaps with Trump returning as president in November, Meloni will be more than happy to show her true colors. If Trump and Orban agree to force Ukraine to surrender, she will not hesitate to consider it. “
Still, the right’s ascendancy is not universal, consistent, or certain. Poland led Europe’s liberation from the Soviet empire through protest movements that culminated in the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. Last year, in November elections, Poland ousted its nationalist ruling Law and Justice party, which had led an attack on the rule of law. The party also promotes xenophobic hatred, portrays Poland as a perpetual victim and distances Poland from the European Union.
“Poles say, ‘We have a more positive vision to replace the dark view of human and national life,'” said Mr. Bager, the German state secretary. “They pulled themselves back from the brink.”
It is always dangerous to underestimate the resourcefulness and resilience of democracies. But equally, discount the unimaginable. As Mr. Bardera’s beloved Victor Hugo wrote, “Nothing is more imminent than the impossible.”
