Will Nationalism Save the EU?

Nationalism is a threat to the European Union as long as the European Union is anti-nationalist. Nationalists only need to win in one country to exit the EU or the euro, or threaten an exit that makes the functioning of the EU more difficult. That changes if nationalists take over however, at which point they can change the rules to make the EU more amenable to its component nations.

Either outcome fits with Socionomic theory. Europe will either fight itself or it will fight outsiders.

ZH: Europe's Right-Wing Populists Unite Behind Salvini Ahead Of EU Elections

"The news is that we are broadening the community, the family. We are working for a new European dream today. For many Europeans, the EU (European Union) is a nightmare," Italian Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini told reporters following a meeting of Europe's far-right party leaders met in Milan on Monday. Salvini is spearheading the alliance, called "Towards a Europe of Common Sense," which he says he hopes will "win and change Europe."

...The group's top priorities are a halt to all clandestine migration, restoring political sovereignty to EU nations, protecting "European culture," and stronger European borders - while the #1 threat to Europe is Islamic extremism.

"As interior minister for 10 months, the No. 1 risk in Italy and Europe is Islamic extremism, Islamic fanaticism, Islamic terrorism," said Salvini. "There are extreme-right and extreme-left minorities in Italy and in Europe, (but) they fortunately are controlled and of limited numbers."

... If they win a majority in the EU elections, the group would cancel for good the process of inviting Turkey to become a member of the European Union - a process which has been stalled for years.

If you're into black comedies, a Brexit betrayal takes on a whole extra level of funny if Remainers end up trapped in a union that is far more nationalist than a post-Breixt UK.