Europe’s shadow: racism runs deeper than orbán’s rhetoric

For years, Viktor Orbán has skillfully framed European racism as a fringe issue, a problem confined to a select few. But beneath the surface of nationalist pronouncements lies a structural reality: racial logic is woven into the very fabric of EU systems – from policing to AI, from borders to justice.

A chilling algorithm, a family ruined

The recent scandal in the Netherlands, where childcare benefits were wrongly flagged for thousands of Dutch families, offers a stark illustration. Ethnic minority families were disproportionately targeted, leading to devastating consequences: crippling debt, forced evictions, and wrongful imprisonment. This isn’t isolated; it’s a symptom of a systemic bias.

Echoes of empire and enslavement

The roots of this problem stretch back to Europe’s colonial past, to the insidious justifications for racial hierarchies – the ‘superior white race’ arguments – that fueled global exploitation and the brutal trade in enslaved people. These aren’t relics of a bygone era; they’ve been meticulously repackaged and deployed in contemporary policies, particularly concerning migration.

The ‘great replacement’ fears take hold

Chancellor Merz’s calls for “very large-scale” deportations of ‘irregular’ migrants, and Prime Minister Frederiksen’s insistence on limiting ‘non-western’ migration, aren’t merely expressions of political expediency. They tap into a deeper, more primal fear: the perceived threat of demographic change. Ursula von der Leyen’s normalization of deportations, couched in the sterile language of ‘risk management,’ is merely a continuation of this unspoken panic, fueled by conspiracy theories like the ‘great replacement’.

Beyond ‘social cohesion’ – a manufactured divide

The EU’s attempts to mask its exclusionary Politics with terms like ‘social cohesion’ and ‘European values’ are a calculated deception. Framing Muslims as an ‘existential threat’ – citing Sharia law – serves only to deepen prejudice and solidify divisions. Hadja Lahbib’s recent acknowledgement of racism ‘hiding in habits’ rings hollow when the institutions she leads remain overwhelmingly Eurocentric.

A legacy of silence

For decades, the EU has stubbornly refused to confront its colonial past. Questions surrounding exploitation and historical injustice are routinely dismissed as distractions. This willful ignorance – fuelled by a desire to maintain the status quo – leaves Europe vulnerable to the manipulative rhetoric of figures like Orbán and Trump. Ignoring Europe’s history ensures its future vulnerability.

The unspoken truth: border walls and cash deals

While Orbán openly champions whiteness, the EU’s exclusion is cloaked in ostensibly neutral terms. EU efforts to fortify borders through deals with countries like Tunisia, Libya, and Mauritania – ‘cash-for-migration-control’ arrangements – represent a dangerous precedent. This is not about partnership; it’s about containment and control.

A call for reckoning

Ultimately, dismantling this ingrained system of racial hierarchy demands a fundamental shift in perspective. A deeper study of colonialism must become a cornerstone of our collective memory, embedded within education and cultural institutions. Without confronting this uncomfortable truth, Europe risks repeating the mistakes of its past, jeopardizing its claim to liberal democracy.