EUROPE - The bloc is “sleepwalking into oblivion” and could soon meet the same end as the Soviet Union, Soros prophesied. In order to avoid catastrophe, he argued, right-minded political parties must resist the lure of EU skepticism sweeping across the continent and “put Europe’s interests ahead of their own.” He chastised Germany’s ruling coalition for not being adequately pro-EU out of fear of losing votes to the right-wing Alternative for Germany (AfD), while praising the German Greens for being “the only consistently pro-European party in the country.”
On the topic of Italy, Soros chided the EU for “strictly enforcing” an agreement “which unfairly burdens countries like Italy where migrants first enter the EU.” As a result, the massive influx of migrants into Europe has transformed the once pro-EU Italy into a bastion of populism, Soros lamented. Curiously, he failed to mention that he is a leading champion of the EU’s open-door migrant policy – a policy which is directly responsible for Italy being swamped with asylum seekers.
Addressing Soros’ arch-nemesis – the Hungarian government under Prime Minister Viktor Orban – the billionaire businessman said that trans-European alliances must show more backbone and not be “dictated to by party leaders’ self-interest.” If Europe’s political leaders fail to stamp out the rise of populist political parties within the bloc, “the dream of a united Europe could become the nightmare of the 21st century,” Soros wrote in closing. Sadly, Soros doesn’t elaborate on why he believes the democratic will of Europeans poses such a fearsome threat to his grand vision for a “united” Europe.