Five lessons from the Paris attacks for Europe

For Europe’s politics, Friday’s horrific terrorist attacks in Paris might easily become the most consequential event of the decade. Here are five thoughts that policymakers and voters should keep in mind:

 1. It’s not us, it’s them
Islamic terrorism is often an opportunity for Western self-flagellation. If it were not for our meddling in the Middle East, the logic goes, radicals would leave us alone. Whether it is true in other contexts, that narrative fails us in this case. The country has, after all, been a staunch supporter of the cause of Palestinian statehood; it opposed the US-led war in Iraq, and over the decades, it has provided a home to millions of Muslims from the Middle East and North Africa.

People hold hands to form a human solidarity chain near the site of the attack at the Bataclan concert hall in Paris, November 15, 2015. REUTERS/Pascal Rossignol.

The attack is not primarily a reaction to anything that the French did or did not do. Instead, it is the result of a crude ideology, which has gained currency within radical Islamist thought both in Europe and in the Middle East. It is not a ‘medieval’ doctrine, but a totalitarian one. The version of radical Islamism that seems to have motivated the attacks conflates religion and the state, the private and the public sphere, and abhors the idea of an open, pluralistic society, in which Muslims and non-Muslims can peacefully live side by side.

2. Europeans need to work together – and America has to help
The attacks will strengthen the far right across Europe, and shape the dynamic of the EU’s response to the refugee crisis. The early reactions from some Central European leaders have already shown a strong flavor of “I-told-you-so-ism,” which hardly helps in devising the joint European response, acutely needed to save the freedom of movement of people in the EU. And if any of the attackers are identified as asylum seekers, the populist temptation to abolish borderless Europe in favor of a continent of inward-looking, fearful nation-states will be greater than at any time since the EU’s inception. To avoid such an outcome, Europeans have to keep it together.

With the help of America, Europeans must find a common resolve to end the conflict in Syria. The current strategy, which consists of hoping that the war will go away, is not working. If anything, the fact that liberal democracies had almost completely vacated the space and allowed Iran and Russia to run the show made the situation in Syria so catastrophic and emboldened ISIL.

3. Europe’s security needs an upgrade
For years, European countries have been disinvesting in their security, expecting America to pick up the slack. Democratic elections, after all, are not won by promising sizeable and well-targeted military spending. Simultaneously, Europeans like to indulge in a false sense of moral superiority, encouraged by the continent’s many Snowdenistas, about a Europe that supposedly – unlike America – does not ‘spy’ on its citizens.

One does not need to be a security expert to see that this mindset is no longer helpful. Whether Europe needs more CCTVs, more effective data collection programs, more spending on its police and military forces, or all of the above, is an open question. But it is important for Europeans to stop avoiding that debate – as they have for decades.

4. Let’s not compromise the character of European societies
Europeans need to resist two reflexive responses to the attacks. One consists of seeing the entire Muslim world as an alien, threatening force. Extremist far-right groups in countries such as Germany already have a history of attacking shelters of Syrian refugees. Every instance of violence, or even bigotry, against Europe’s Muslims or against asylum-seekers from the Middle East, chips a little piece of Europe’s soul away and erodes the moral high ground that Europe’s liberal democracies rightly occupy.

A different danger lies in thinking that a compromise can be reached with the Islamists’ totalitarian worldview, by ensuring that Westerners do not cause ‘offense’ to Muslims. In the aftermath of the Charlie Hebdo attack, many — including some figures on the political right, such as the former Czech President Václav Klaus – suggested that freedom of expression should not take precedence over “the respect of one person for another.” In 2013, East London saw protests of Islamists over the sale of alcohol in local shops and restaurants. Some supermarket chains in the UK allow their staff to refuse, on religious grounds, to assist customers who want to purchase pork or alcohol. Without endorsing crass or offensive behavior, it is imperative for European leaders to stand up vocally for freedom of expression and for a culture of pluralism as the cornerstones of Europe’s society – even if their application causes offense.

5. Open societies are vulnerable
The most important job of governments is to protect their citizens against violence and aggression. In Europe’s current situation, this means beefing up its security capabilities and doubling down on attempts to resolve the catastrophic civil war in Syria. Needless to say, all of this is going to be much harder without America’s active presence.

Still, it is worth remembering that horrific acts of violence cannot be engineered-away from free and open societies. Europe, old and new, is about to see a flood of populists who will promise the voters exactly that – without telling them about the price tag that their supposed solutions would entail. It is all the more important for Europe’s responsible leaders – Merkel, Cameron, and others – to demonstrate that Europe’s liberal democracies can keep their people safe, without jeopardizing freedom and peaceful cooperation on the continent.