War in Europe felt like history — until it was not. Over the past ten years, global politics has taken a sharp turn. Peace, once assumed, is now uncertain. So how did we get here?
War in Europe Was Unthinkable — Until 2022
Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine marked a turning point. War was back in Europe — and suddenly, everything that seemed stable cracked.
The West was blamed for overextending its influence. NATO’s expansion eastwards and the EU’s liberal order were seen by powers like Russia and Iran as attempts to dominate. Globalisation, long sold as progress, was now viewed by many outside the West as biased and imperial.
The Refugee Crisis Changed Europe’s Politics
The Syrian Civil War, a spillover from the Arab Spring, triggered a refugee crisis unlike anything seen before in Europe. Merkel — in a tone both confident and pragmatic — told Germans “wir schaffen das” (we can do this), and opened the doors.
But there was no real plan.
Refugees were not shared equally. Countries like Germany and Sweden took in most. At first, it seemed like the moral thing to do. Then reality hit.
Incidents of crime, antisocial behaviour, and cultural friction — often exaggerated by the press — stirred backlash. Not all reports were false. Some were real. And people noticed. Suddenly, the problem was not just about numbers — it was about religion, values, and whether these new arrivals could or even wanted to integrate.
Integration Failed — and People Felt It
The EU had no proper strategy. Language barriers, missing papers, and long asylum processes meant many people were stuck in limbo. Some found work and settled in. Others drifted — into informal jobs, state support, or worse.
People noticed the rise of visibly conservative Muslim communities — and many were uncomfortable. The media ran with it. Migrants were now framed not just as poor or desperate, but as threats. The narrative turned fast.
Woke vs. Conservative: The Culture Wars Ignite
This happened just as “woke” politics — identity, outrage, activism — became loud, especially in the US. While the core issues were serious (equality, discrimination, justice), the loudest voices came off aggressive, moralistic, and detached from everyday concerns.
Online, this got worse. Conflict-based activism clashed with conservative voices on everything from gender to religion. It was loud, messy, and constant.
This created a perfect opportunity for a counter-movement — men like Jordan Peterson, Andrew Tate, and others offered certainty and tradition in a world they claimed was obsessed with victimhood and chaos. They appealed to those who felt lost, sidelined, or sick of being told they were the problem — especially young men.
And Then, the Far Right Took Over the Narrative
The far right had been growing for years, but now it had fuel. Brexit passed. Germany’s AfD rose. France’s Le Pen gained traction. Eastern Europe saw surges too — AUR in Romania, for example.
The link was clear:
- Economic and cultural anxiety
- Perceived loss of identity
- A feeling that no one was listening
Online success translated into votes. Their presence shaped the entire debate, even when they were not in power.
Russia Was Watching — and Interfering
This period also exposed something else: Russia was not just reacting. It was interfering.
The Cambridge Analytica scandal, Russian influence in the 2016 US election, and media manipulation campaigns showed Moscow’s interest in weakening the West from within. Their aim was not to win arguments — it was to cause confusion, anger, and fragmentation.
And it worked. Distrust in governments, media, and institutions shot up. Conspiracy theories gained ground.
Then COVID Hit — and Made Everything Worse
Governments were caught off guard. Messaging was inconsistent. Systems broke. People were scared, isolated, and angry. Into that mess came misinformation, anti-vaxxers, QAnon, and a whole wave of distrust in the “elites.”
This became a playground for extremists — on both sides, but especially the far right. People were primed to stop trusting anything official.
Russia Invaded Ukraine — Again
In early 2022, Russia went further. It launched a full invasion of Ukraine. Many expected Kyiv to fall in days. It did not — because of fierce resistance and Western support. But the invasion confirmed something deeper: we were back in a world of power politics, and the illusions of post-war peace were done.
The Aftershocks: Economics, Extremism, and Uncertainty
COVID left scars. Inflation, instability, and falling living standards hit people hard. Politics reflected that.
More people turned to simple answers: close the borders, leave the EU, silence the left. Far-right figures across Europe grew bolder. Their arguments — once fringe — became mainstream.
Solidarity broke. The centre thinned out. And all this set the stage for more instability, not less.
So Where Did Peace Go?
It did not disappear overnight. It eroded slowly — through bad policy, media panic, ideological warfare, and foreign interference.
It is not about left vs right, or East vs West. It is about trust. When people stop trusting governments, neighbours, institutions — when fear becomes the loudest voice — peace gets pushed out.
The question now is not just where peace went. It is: what will it take to bring it back?
💡 Key Takeaways
- War in Europe returned because the West underestimated long-building tensions.
- The refugee crisis fractured European unity and exposed deep cultural divides.
- Culture wars and online radicalisation widened the gap between people and institutions.
- Russia saw the cracks and pushed them wider.
- Peace is not guaranteed. It never was.
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