Identity Politics and Democratic Crisis in Western Europe

This article analyzes political problems and the democratic crisis in Western Europe from the perspective of the rise of identity politics. It is argued that the root cause of the crisis lies in the Western democracy itself. Modern liberal democracy has encouraged the upsurge of active groups based primarily on their distinctive collective identities. With the rise of identity politics, antagonistic groups have struggled for recognition and expanded social divisions among the people, which has led to a representation crisis. Both Muslim and non-Muslim citizens, immigrants and non-immigrant citizens have expressed discontent and dissatisfaction with the democratic governments in almost all Western European countries, which has led to a legitimacy crisis. Political parties and local governments based on regional or religious identities have mobilized mass support for their independence proposals and posed serious challenges to national unity and solidarity, which has led to a governance crisis. Institutional redesign and innovation are important and imperative for overcoming these crises.