On 15 February 2024, The Economist reported that a new form of conservatism emphasizing state power and nationalism is gaining momentum globally, replacing traditional market-oriented conservative ideology. The article begins:
In the 1980s Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher built a new conservatism around markets and freedom. Today Donald Trump, Viktor Orban and a motley crew of Western politicians have demolished that orthodoxy, constructing in its place a statist, “anti-woke” conservatism that puts national sovereignty before the individual. These national conservatives are increasingly part of a global movement with its own networks of thinkers and leaders bound by a common ideology. They sense that they own conservatism now—and they may be right. Despite its name, national conservatism could not be more different from the ideas of Reagan and Thatcher…
Key Points:
- National conservatives reject traditional conservative principles of free markets and limited government in favor of state intervention.
- The movement shows increasing electoral strength across Western nations, with significant polling gains in multiple countries.
- When in power, these parties pursue institutional control over courts, universities, and media to consolidate their position.
- These parties systematically work to gain control over institutions they view as compromised by “wokeness” and globalism.
PREVIOUS POST