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Guest Essay

By David Broder

Mr. Broder is an expert on European politics and the author of “Mussolini’s Grandchildren.” He wrote from Berlin.

About a decade ago, a wave of populism crashed across Europe. Reeling from the financial crisis, voters flirted with risky alternatives to mainstream parties, threatening tumult in the continent’s usually stable politics. It was an unsettling time for Europe’s leaders. But pundits assured them that the risk of a far-right takeover was overblown. Robust electoral systems, not-so-distant memories of dictatorships and weak support among wealthier voters, they believed, put hard ceilings........

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