Jeretič for NAP: Trump's big victory gave potential to the spirit of sovereignists, the European Union at a crossroads!

(Patria) - In a conversation with Assistant Professor Sebastjan Jeretič, we analyzed the recently concluded presidential elections in the USA, the consequences for relations between globalists and sovereignists, and the future relations between America and the European Union. Sebastjan Jeretič is a political scientist and communication expert with many years of experience as a strategic advisor to companies, political parties, mayors, and ministers. Many consider him the leading Slovenian expert in political communication.

Interviewed by: Amina Čorbo - Zećo

Patria: What have we learned from Trump's victory, but also from Kamala Harris's defeat, can we view that defeat as her personal one or generally due to the Democrats' policies?

Jeretič: That is a somewhat broader aspect. Today, the divisions into socialists and conservatives and similar divisions of past decades are no longer the best orientation for division; instead, we have two major poles that are in political battle, and these are globalists and sovereignists. On one side, we have a policy that wants the destruction of all traditional concepts of identity, from family, nation, religion, etc., merging them into a multitude of different individuals. On the other side, we have a policy of sovereignism that wants to preserve some local traditional concepts of identity. This is now the main battle that can also be seen in Europe. In Europe, we can see that all the old politics, left and right, have gathered around Ursula von der Leyen, and on the other side, we have politicians like Viktor Orbán who represent a different policy.

I think this is now the main polarization of politics in the Western world, the battle between globalists and sovereignists, and the American elections were the strongest match of that battle so far, and it was the biggest victory of sovereignists so far with Trump, and that victory will affect the entire Western world, precisely in terms of this front between globalists and sovereignists. So, it was a defeat, clearly, of some old politics, which is not successful in the field of economics, that is also the main reason, and because of the defeat in the field of economics, which with neoliberal policy led to a decline in the standard of living, the only tool or the only strategy they use is the strategy of moralizing, labeling the other side as fascists, and promoting some radical globalist ideology, which includes all these big stars from Taylor Swift onwards, who try to set the main front on the issue of morality, on the issue of abortion, meaning on the issue of those very significant emotional-moral topics. And that was the defeat of that policy because this labeling of the other side as fascists no longer works when the economy is as strong an issue as it is now in America.

Patria: So is this the beginning of the end of globalism?

Jeretič: No, it is the beginning of at least an equal match. Because until now, globalist policy had a terrible advantage. Because these are all old forces. Both left and right gathered around it. So both socialists and part of the People's Party in Europe. And because of that, for example, they stopped changes in France. They managed to stop Le Pen in the second round of elections there. And because of that, Tusk won in Poland. And so on. So they may have lost the Netherlands, they lost Hungary, in Italy a different policy is being built, but in other countries they managed with simply this moralizing, so to speak, that people were ashamed if, say, the right won. What they call the right, if the sovereignists or populists won. I think people are no longer ashamed now. Because people see in their wallets what the situation is.

And so, it is now a question of the hierarchy of needs. When the material issue comes to such a collapse as happened in one part, meaning in a large part of America, and as is now the potential in a large part of Europe with the decline of European industry, meaning in such a situation, moralistic propaganda simply does not work, Taylor Swift does not work, all this machinery of labeling the other side as fascists does not work. Instead, people look at what is in their interest.

Patria: It somehow seems that mainstream media were defeated in this race, given that Twitter (X) won.

Jeretič: Absolutely. For some time now, the media have not been performing the functions they had in building the modern world. Because modern democracy largely arose due to the media's responsibility not only for informing but also for educating public opinion. We have seen for 20 years now that many media have simply either gone into complete banalization, meaning into infotainment, and along with that, they went into some covert political activism.

What was the pillar of modern democracy and what were even the criteria, say, for the democracy index of a country, namely the media, then non-governmental organizations that were especially protected because of the role they once had. Today, these are all tools in the political battle, and until people see that, say, X is the only one that is completely open, because Facebook has again become controlled. The globalists managed to get Facebook into their hands, and there they can filter the messages they allow people and those they do not. So there is certainly a big battle in the tools of information or propaganda. Clearly, because these are the same tools.

Patria: Analysts missed the forecasts, and now those same analysts are feeding us fear of a possible shift in Trump's policy, how much of that fear is projected, and how much is truly real?

Jeretič: I think that is precisely part of the propaganda I am talking about. So, their promotion of Kamala as a likely winner was not a forecast, but part of a political campaign. And that political campaign simply failed them. There were other forecasts that showed that Trump had started to grow a lot in the last month because the Democrats only ran a negative campaign.

And not only Kamala Harris, and not only President Biden's statement that Trump's voters are garbage, but also Obama and all the others who collaborated in Kamala Harris's campaign mainly worked on pushing fear, on pushing negativity towards Trump. That is also the defeat of these people who had some big influencers with them and who expected that their support would be enough to stop the decline of unsuccessful globalists.

Patria: What will the European Union do now? Will it seek a new path or still remain dependent on America, even if it has to cooperate with Trump?

Jeretič: I think there will be big problems there. From what I hear, the first reactions in Brussels are a bit in shock, they don't yet know what to do. I think that the European Union is currently most strongly led by globalists, meaning that globalists are currently in the strongest position, if this Commission is fully appointed as proposed. And I think this team will not work with Trump the way it worked with Biden. Because during the time when the Democrats led America, Europe was simply some peripheral performer of their policy. And Trump is something else. So, what Trump will bring to world politics goes completely against what Ursula von der Leyen represents in Europe, or let's say, everything these people are paid for. So I think there will be very big tensions about that, there will be attempts, and it is time, finally, for Europe to stand on its own, but the question is whether to stand with Ursula or to stand waiting for some new European leaders. The first big next test is the question of the Commission, and the second most important test will even be the German elections, which seem now inevitable.

Patria: Will we see something similar there as in America?

Jeretič: That is now the question. I think Trump's really big victory has opened up concepts in other countries. So, it has given potential to the spirit of sovereignists. Everyone will have an easier job in the next battles and the next elections. And now it is only a question of how the other side will react.

Because so far, it has shown that it is not capable of strategically smart reactions, but only of pushing the same story, and now the question is whether there will be a strategic turnaround in those ranks.

Patria: If it happens, why would that be good, or bad?

Jeretič: Well, that is now a question of good for whom, bad for whom. I think that, if we look at what concerns people, the most important is clearly the standard of living within a clear framework of freedom and social justice. If those forces that were not capable of conducting economic policy now turn to seeking some new solutions that will bring a higher standard, then that will be good for people in any case.

So, if the sovereignists win, who have so far shown better economic policy in any case, or if the globalists manage to win due to a major change and great efficiency, it will again be good for people. So this change will in any case bring positive results through the victories of efficient policies on one or the other side of the political spectrum.