Here’s a puzzle. 2024 is a year of elections worldwide, including the greatest democratic exercise ever attempted, in India. Just short of a billion Indian voters are taking part in the greatest election in human history. But this year’s EU elections, the UK general election and the US presidential election also raise a big question about democracy, and how we talk about politics.
Back in 2022, the London-based Political Studies Association reported that more British people were studying politics at school than ever before. Every student of politics learns about ideas as if they formed a horseshoe shape.
Centrist parties are in the middle, then on one side there are parties of the left, on the other, parties of the right. Left and right are supposed to have very different ideas on the role of the state, whether private enterprise is better than state-funded public works, taxation, and so on.
But the far left and far right – the two extremes of the horseshoe – start to come together because far or extreme-right political groupings have characteristics supposedly similar to those on the far or extreme left. These include contempt for democracy and the hankering for a “strong” leader who “breaks the rules”.
But how far do these categories and ideas make sense nowadays?
Across Europe, the EU elections run from June 3-9. There are fears in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium and elsewhere of a far-right surge.
Interesting is the way in which the responsibilities of government may – or may not – change things for those on the far or radical right once in power
Last Sunday in Madrid, Spain’s far-right Vox Party brought together French opposition leader Marine Le Pen, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and Argentine President Javier Milei. They formed a common front against “massive illegal migration” and the supposed scourge of socialism. American hard-right figures who were present included Matt Schlapp from the American Conservative Union and Roger Severino, vice president of the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think-tank.
Some dislike the “far right” badge, preferring to call themselves “centre right”, though others see that as rebranding, an attempt to claim to be more mainstream. Beyond arguing about definitions, more interesting is the way in which the responsibilities of government may – or may not – change things for those on the far or radical right once in power.
Ms Meloni, for example, bore the far-right label yet surprised some commentators by appearing to have governed pragmatically within the parameters of Italy’s democratic system. Others claim that Ms Meloni has not moved ideologically at all, but merely nods towards the centre of national politics while her party, Brothers of Italy, has echoes of Benito Mussolini’s fascists in the 1920s.
Either way, a fascinating April 2024 report from Carnegie Europe scholars wrote of the core upheaval in European politics: “For decades, the traditional mainstream parties of the centre right and centre left have been losing ground, while anti-establishment parties have been gaining support,” they noted.
“According to research by the University of Amsterdam, 32 per cent of voters opted for anti-establishment parties in 2021, up from 12 per cent in the early 1990s. Radical-right parties make up about half of this share, and their support has risen faster than that of any other group.”
This shake-up may become more obvious after the European elections. It has also had an impact in Britain, although its first-past-the-post election system tends to punish those outside the political mainstream. Those on the nationalist right, including the UK Independence Party, the Brexit Party and its latest incarnation, Reform UK, have won votes and changed politics but have yet to alter the predominantly two-party system.
Moreover, the British Conservative party is a pragmatic shapeshifter. It has moved significantly towards the right, although its failure in this is worth examining. With hugely unpopular prime ministers, notably Liz Truss followed by Rishi Sunak, traditional Conservatives complain that courting the radical right means substituting ideology for pragmatism.
Pragmatism has always been a key moderate Conservative party selling point. And so, when it comes to politics and the rise of the far right, it’s worth considering not ideology but psychology. Voters across Europe – and as Donald Trump showed, also in the US – always grow tired of “politics as usual”.
Humans are always looking out for the shiny new thing, the golden key to unlock a solution to all our problems. Most of us don’t care much about ideology. Most of us don’t fret about labels of left or right or radical. Most of us merely hope for competence. Since things usually go wrong with governments eventually, voters will always have an inescapable desire for change.
All the parties I have mentioned that have been called far right or radical right have indeed been increasing in popularity. But complaining about things, as they are, is easy. So is pretending, when in opposition during hard times, that you have the solution sometime in the future – but not right now – to the world’s problems.
Governing is difficult. If you don’t believe me, ask the British Conservatives.
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Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
ELIO
Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
MATCH INFO
Sheffield United 3
Fleck 19, Mousset 52, McBurnie 90
Manchester United 3
Williams 72, Greenwood 77, Rashford 79
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
HAJJAN
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Federer's 19 grand slam titles
Australian Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Marat Safin; 2006 bt Marcos Baghdatis; 2007 bt Fernando Gonzalez; 2010 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Rafael Nadal
French Open (1 title) - 2009 bt Robin Soderling
Wimbledon (8 titles) - 2003 bt Mark Philippoussis; 2004 bt Andy Roddick; 2005 bt Andy Roddick; 2006 bt Rafael Nadal; 2007 bt Rafael Nadal; 2009 bt Andy Roddick; 2012 bt Andy Murray; 2017 bt Marin Cilic
US Open (5 titles) - 2004 bt Lleyton Hewitt; 2005 bt Andre Agassi; 2006 bt Andy Roddick; 2007 bt Novak Djokovic; 2008 bt Andy Murray
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Common OCD symptoms and how they manifest
Checking: the obsession or thoughts focus on some harm coming from things not being as they should, which usually centre around the theme of safety. For example, the obsession is “the building will burn down”, therefore the compulsion is checking that the oven is switched off.
Contamination: the obsession is focused on the presence of germs, dirt or harmful bacteria and how this will impact the person and/or their loved ones. For example, the obsession is “the floor is dirty; me and my family will get sick and die”, the compulsion is repetitive cleaning.
Orderliness: the obsession is a fear of sitting with uncomfortable feelings, or to prevent harm coming to oneself or others. Objectively there appears to be no logical link between the obsession and compulsion. For example,” I won’t feel right if the jars aren’t lined up” or “harm will come to my family if I don’t line up all the jars”, so the compulsion is therefore lining up the jars.
Intrusive thoughts: the intrusive thought is usually highly distressing and repetitive. Common examples may include thoughts of perpetrating violence towards others, harming others, or questions over one’s character or deeds, usually in conflict with the person’s true values. An example would be: “I think I might hurt my family”, which in turn leads to the compulsion of avoiding social gatherings.
Hoarding: the intrusive thought is the overvaluing of objects or possessions, while the compulsion is stashing or hoarding these items and refusing to let them go. For example, “this newspaper may come in useful one day”, therefore, the compulsion is hoarding newspapers instead of discarding them the next day.
Source: Dr Robert Chandler, clinical psychologist at Lighthouse Arabia
Mountain%20Boy
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GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
EMERGENCY PHONE NUMBERS
Estijaba – 8001717 – number to call to request coronavirus testing
Ministry of Health and Prevention – 80011111
Dubai Health Authority – 800342 – The number to book a free video or voice consultation with a doctor or connect to a local health centre
Emirates airline – 600555555
Etihad Airways – 600555666
Ambulance – 998
Knowledge and Human Development Authority – 8005432 ext. 4 for Covid-19 queries
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
- Power: 640hp
- Torque: 760nm
- On sale: 2026
- Price: Not announced yet
Getting there
Flydubai flies direct from Dubai to Tbilisi from Dh1,025 return including taxes
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Gothia Cup 2025
4,872 matches
1,942 teams
116 pitches
76 nations
26 UAE teams
15 Lebanese teams
2 Kuwaiti teams
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If you go
The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Chicago from Dh5,215 return including taxes.
The hotels
Recommended hotels include the Intercontinental Chicago Magnificent Mile, located in an iconic skyscraper complete with a 1929 Olympic-size swimming pool from US$299 (Dh1,100) per night including taxes, and the Omni Chicago Hotel, an excellent value downtown address with elegant art deco furnishings and an excellent in-house restaurant. Rooms from US$239 (Dh877) per night including taxes.
ESSENTIALS
The flights
Emirates flies from Dubai to Phnom Penh via Yangon from Dh2,700 return including taxes. Cambodia Bayon Airlines and Cambodia Angkor Air offer return flights from Phnom Penh to Siem Reap from Dh250 return including taxes. The flight takes about 45 minutes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Raffles Le Royal in Phnom Penh cost from $225 (Dh826) per night including taxes. Rooms at the Grand Hotel d'Angkor cost from $261 (Dh960) per night including taxes.
The tours
A cyclo architecture tour of Phnom Penh costs from $20 (Dh75) per person for about three hours, with Khmer Architecture Tours. Tailor-made tours of all of Cambodia, or sites like Angkor alone, can be arranged by About Asia Travel. Emirates Holidays also offers packages.
