Security and European Polarisation

Abstract

The security and structure of Europe is at an unprecedented risk due to both political and social developments. The political involves the complex situation around “Brexit”, which is forcing Europe to reorganise its democratic structure and values, and the social includes the rising risks of terrorism, hate crime and the refugee crisis which is reinforcing a polarised climate of Euroscepticism. This chapter takes an analytical phenomenological approach to explore how these nuanced threats are affecting the stability of Europe’s framework. To achieve this the chapter explores the processes that lead to the origins of polarisation, how it has disseminated within each sphere of society (political, social, economic and technological) and the implications this has on the security structure of Europe. The chapter displays this transgression through a “social polarisation cycle” which highlights the correlation between indicators such as polarisation and its consequences which includes hate crime that can later develop into an extremist threat. As the outcome of the analysis the chapter highlights several recommendations that Europe should make to its current state, organisational, academic and policy frameworks. These developments include using a holistic approach to tackle radicalisation and hate crime, adopting a multi-agency approach between relevant organisations and stakeholders and improving the breadth of current knowledge to aid in decision-making. The outcome of these recommendations is to provide a more stable framework for Europe, in an age where unprecedented challenges are threatening its confidence and perceived value as a security society.