Illustration of the isolation of the EU. Sascha Steinach/Press Association. All rights reserved. The so-called European migration crisis and the populist political backlash that ensued – even if undoubtedly driven also by a number of other factors – have created all sorts of challenges for civil society actors. How to respond effectively to the increasingly hostile societal environment? How to “stay in the game” without giving up on core principles? What, if any, alternative political agenda should they put forwards? This text attempts to provide a rather sober reading of the situation at hand, and hint towards what I believe can be a way forwards.
Shrinking civil space
Not least in Central and Eastern Europe, we encounter signs of a shrinking space for civil society.[1] While in certain cases, the evidence remains somewhat anecdotal, there nevertheless seems to be a general trend towards circumventing the modus operandi of not-for-profit actors. This includes substantial cuts in funding, increased bureaucratic burden, as well as a growing disregard for civil actors’ positions. The key reason for this development is quite straightforward: the increasing discrepancy between what not-for-profits advocate, and the policies that European politicians pursue (and that their electorates expect them to pursue). While to many, the decline of civil society actors is the ultimate worrying trend, others readily put it right at the core of their politics, denouncing rights-based NGOs as foreign agents and enemies of the people who shall be destroyed if they can’t be stopped.
Getting real
In my discussions with colleagues from the migration not-for-profit sector, I have been repeatedly astounded by the refusal on the part of some to admit to the political realities. Others strongly insist on taking radical positions which in their minds could form the basis of a countermovement to widespread public hatred and populist politics. Respectfully, I have to disagree.
