The Hour of Audacity

The text analyzes the rise of populist right-wing parties in the wake of the European elections, attributing this trend to the devastating impacts of neo-liberalism and the Troika's priorities. It calls for the Greens and other democratic forces to move beyond pragmatism and reinvent the welfare state toward sustainability and a common European interest to counter nationalism.

• The rise of radical and populist right-wing parties is driven by a combination of social and cultural insecurity, economic decline, and anger over increasing poverty, unemployment, and inequality.
• Neo-liberalism and the interventions of the Troika, which prioritized banks and financial groups over citizens, have had a devastating effect on European democracy and the European project.
• Voters for anti-European parties view the nation state as the only community capable of providing security and welfare, suggesting that the welfare state must be reimagined beyond the nation state and oriented toward sustainability to counter nationalism.
• The Greens must move beyond 'real-politik' and pragmatism to lead a coalition for a more democratic and ecological Europe, extending the debate beyond Brussels and into national spheres.

APA

Board, E. (2014). The Hour of Audacity. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-hour-of-audacity/

Chicago

Board, Editorial. The Hour of Audacity. Green European Journal, 2014. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-hour-of-audacity/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Board |first1=Editorial |title=The Hour of Audacity |publisher=Green European Journal |date=28 May 2014 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-hour-of-audacity/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{board2014hour, author = {Board, Editorial}, title = {{The Hour of Audacity}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2014}, month = may, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-hour-of-audacity/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }