Following concerns raised by JD Vance about Europe potentially facing ‘civilizational suicide,’ the continent is under scrutiny for its handling of mass migration, largely from developing countries. This has been linked to increases in violent crime and economic struggles.

Freedom of speech is reportedly threatened, with complaints of a dual justice system. Furthermore, Europe’s economic performance is falling short of expectations.
 

The U.K.’s economy has stagnated for three years, showing no growth in per capita income. Ben Habib, chairman of the Great British Political Action Committee, and former co-deputy leader of Reform UK, describes the country’s performance as “pathetic,” claiming the U.K. is now in a worse state than Europe.

Migration is a prominent topic of discussion. Immigration rose to between 1.2 and 1.3 million in 2022 and 2023, an increase from around 800,000 before the pandemic, which is creating tension.

Conservative Party Member of Parliament Robert Jenrick wrote in a column for the UK Conservative & Reformer Post that “National togetherness is now being torn to shreds as unprecedented levels of mass migration transform parts of our country beyond recognition,” adding, “We have imported ethnic and religious tensions, meaning that conflicts on the other side of the world play out on Britain’s streets.”

Earlier this week, the State Department announced it was monitoring the case of a British woman on trial for offering counseling to women outside a U.K. abortion facility.

The woman stated, “Great Britain is supposed to be a free country, yet I’ve been dragged through court merely for offering consensual conversation … peaceful expression is a fundamental right—no one should be criminalized for harmless offers to converse.”

The U.K. has also seen a rise in violent assaults compared to other OECD countries. Scotland had the highest rate with 1,487 assaults per 100,000 people, according to UN data. England and Wales ranked third with 730 violent assaults per 100,000 residents.

Concerns have been raised that Britain is experiencing a free speech crisis due to a left-leaning government, excessive policing, and courts restricting freedom of expression. Last August, the government cautioned citizens about posting potentially offensive content and threatened imprisonment. The Crown Prosecution Service posted a warning on X, amplified by official government accounts, urging citizens to “Think before you post!”
 

France’s economy has grown in the past four years, but the growth rate has significantly decreased. High debt levels also pose a challenge to rapid economic expansion, according to economist Konstantinos Venetis.

Migration remains a challenge in France, with 317,000 immigrants from outside the EU in 2022, up from 222,000 in 2013.

Right-wing politicians, such as those in the National Rally, are emphasizing the issues arising from the influx of people who are unwilling to integrate into French society. National Rally leader Marine Le Pen, previously a leading candidate for the 2027 presidential election, recently received a two-year prison sentence from a French court, which convicted her and other party members of embezzling public funds. Le Pen described the sentence as a ‘death sentence,’ claiming it was intended to prevent her from running for president.

France’s rate of violent assaults is in the middle of the OECD rankings, with 310 cases per 100,000 people.

Germany’s economy has been in recession for the past two years. The unemployment rate increased to 6.3% in March, up from 5.9% last April, partly due to rising energy prices and competition from China.

Konstantinos Venetis, an economist at TS Lombard, notes that “People are not happy about the fact that unemployment is picking up.” He adds that official statistics don’t fully reflect the number of workers with reduced paid hours, which has “gone up considerably.”

Migration surged to 1.6 million non-EU immigrants in 2022, more than double the number in 2021.
Germany’s right-wing populist AfD party has advocated for deporting asylum seekers, a message that resonated with voters during February’s national election, where they secured 20.7% of the vote. The leading conservative Christian Democrats party responded by adopting stricter immigration policies.

Germany had a relatively high rate of violent assaults, ranking sixth in the OECD with 630 cases per 100,000 people.

Italy, the EU’s third-largest economy, has experienced growth every quarter since the pandemic, although the growth rate has slowed.

The debt level as a percentage of GDP decreased to 135% last year, compared to 138% in 2022 when Giorgia Meloni took office.

Meloni has received praise for her strict stance on illegal immigration. In 2024, migrant arrivals totaled 67,317, a decrease of almost 60% from the 157,651 the previous year. This decline is partly attributed to an agreement between Italy and Albania to strengthen border controls, create legal immigration pathways, and deter illegal entry.

Italy had a low rate of violent assaults, with 110 per 100,000 residents.

Poland’s economy grew by 2.9% last year, slightly exceeding the estimated 2.8% growth in the U.S., while simultaneously strengthening its defense sector and accommodating an influx of Ukrainian refugees due to the Russian-Ukrainian war.
Habib describes Poland as “a powerhouse” with “national pride,” calling it “a phenomenal country.”

Poland also has low asylum application rates, with 9,513 and 17,038 applications in 2023 and 2024, respectively, compared to 237,314 in neighboring Germany.

Asylum claims in Poland are expected to remain low, as Prime Minister Donald Tusk has reinforced measures against illegal immigration. He recently (March) temporarily suspended the rights of immigrants to claim asylum.

President Andrzej Duda, who signed the bill into law, stated, “I believe that it is necessary to strengthen the security of our borders and the security of Poles,” as reported by Euro News.

Poland had the lowest rate of violent assaults in the OECD, with two cases per 100,000 people.

Hungary’s economy experienced a setback in 2023 but is recovering, with 0.4% growth in the fourth quarter. Trading Economics analysts project growth of 2.7% next year and 3.6% in 2027.

Migration from outside Europe has remained low, with 57,000 in 2022 and 45,000 in 2023. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán recently tweeted: “Don’t be afraid to stand alone. When 26 others accepted mass migration, we built a fence and said no. Now, more and more PMs are saying exactly what Hungary said ten years ago—they’ve realized we were right.”
 

Hungary’s rate of violent assaults was low, with 124 cases per 100,000 people.

Digital’s Kristine Parks contributed to this article.

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