If extremists emphasize identity politics, moderates must emphasize the strength of our shared identity and lay out a positive national vision for the countries we love and a strong commitment to global solutions.
Although the New Right is gaining strength in some regions, the overall balance of power in Europe remains unchanged. | Mathieu Delaty and Hans Lukas/Getty Images
And while extremists emphasize simplistic approaches, centrists must explain how the solutions proposed by the New Right are unworkable and how much worse off people's lives would be.
European centrism also needs to address the conflicting tensions between greater integration and regional identity, globalization and regional industry, and threats to security and civil liberties. These tensions exist, and politicians can only claim to be truly pragmatic by effectively balancing them. And that pragmatism must translate into real results and initiatives that improve people's lives and have a concrete impact on everyday life.
Finally, in addition to the hope and pragmatism that come naturally to centrism, centrism must also offer a clear vision of core issues. This is already happening with the digital and ecological transformations. There is no room for polarizing left-right differences or for searching for agreements based on the lowest common denominator. A strong centrism offers a clear path to seizing the future.
So as we look back at this summer's election results and draw lessons from them, it is time for Europe's centres to look forward. The answer to the rise of the illiberal right will not come from the illiberal left. And while our friends on the mainstream right and left will be tempted to appease the extremists, it is the centres that must stand firm.
Social democrats and conservatives may think they benefit from allying themselves with both ends of the political spectrum, but they must resist the temptations of populism and show that moderate, pragmatic politics can get results.
