In it he talks about the near-revolutionary situation in France and how democracy and liberalism are now divergent concepts. The interviewer was Ory Mariann.
What are the origins of the increasing divisions in Europe, especially the opposition between national sovereignty and centralization?
BENOIST: The European Union is characterized by incapacity as well as confusion about its borders, even if the absurd idea of letting Turkey join has been largely abandoned. The introduction of the euro would not have been such a bad idea, but its implementation has led to problems, since the same currency has the same value in countries that are so diverse in economic terms. This has caused a break between the north and the south. Then came the immigration problem, which brought an east-west break. Then came Orban, and the example of Hungary confronting the migration policy of the Union, which soon spread to other Visegrád countries as well. I think this is very good. Many people say in France that there are two sides in the next European election: one is Orbán and Salvini, the other is Macron and Merkel. The former is in the ascendant and the other on the decline.
How are the protests of the Yellow Vests undermining Macron?
BENOIST: This is a historic event because it is different from any other protest we have seen in recent years. It was launched from the bottom, completely independent of the parties and trade unions, and it can not be categorized either clearly as right or left. There is very high support, seventy-eighty percent. This has only dropped a bit in recent days when Macron promised to raise the minimum wage, but I think it's too little, too late. The crisis is deeper. It is about the confidence of the people in the political elite and in the media. What they see on TV or in the newspapers is completely different from what they experience in their daily lives. Things will be much harder for Macron now.
Increasing the environmental tax on fuel was probably just the straw that broke the camel's back. What is the real reason for the protests?
BENOIST: There are different reasons for different people. The action of the Yellow Vests started as a protest of a material nature, because of the taxes, and soon became a social and political protest. Some people live in cultural uncertainty, mainly because of the changes caused by immigration, while others live in social insecurity, because of fears about their jobs. When these two types of uncertainty blend, it is a rebellion. Immigration has become an increasingly unbearable problem in recent years, and people know that more people are coming. In addition, social tension is growing as the rich become richer and the poor poorer. The logic of capitalism, of course, is to suppress all that which can stop the expansion of capital: this includes boundaries and differences of culture, for example. It is increasingly difficult for nation states to preserve their autonomy. But Hungary is also going in a positive direction, and fortunately it is not isolated any longer.
What can be done to oppose the loss of sovereignty to globalism?
BENOIST: In recent years, countries have lost a lot of independence, and their borders have also become more difficult to defend. Previously, the boundaries indicated the boundaries of political power and collective identity. But today, globalization has changed that. There is a strong political mandate, will, and clear ideas for states to regain part of their sovereignty in this situation. Unfortunately, however, many politicians have forgotten what government really means. They just want to manage their countries. For me, however, this situation is particularly exciting, and I have also talked about the fact that Viktor Orbán used the word "illiberalism": democracy and liberalism are not the same, despite being used almost synonymously since the Second World War.
The liberal EU elite often attacks nation states opposing its policy by using international law and human rights.
BENOIST: Human rights ideology has become a tool for controlling political power and freedom. This is one of the differences between liberalism and democracy. Even if people vote for something by a large majority, if it conflicts with human rights ideology, liberalists will regard the public as null and void.
Translated from the Hungarian by Colin Liddell
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