„Der Illiberalismus von JD Vances kritisiert nicht nur liberale und progressive Werte, sondern fährt auch ein echtes politisches Projekt vor.“
https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2025/02/25/jd-vance-s-illiberalism-doesn-t-just-criticize-liberal-and-progressive-values-it-advances-a-real-political-project_6738536_23.html
3 Kommentare
**After the US vice president’s speech in Munich, supporters of political liberalism must stop believing their model is hegemonic, and get down to the ideological arena if they hope to convince others, writes historian Marlène Laruelle.**
The outrage and surprise expressed by Europeans after US Vice President JD Vance’s February 14 speech at the Munich Security Conference is problematic. The messages sent out by Donald Trump and his administration since his election in November have left no doubt about the radical developments to come. Yet, European leadership seems to have expected a replay of the first Trump presidency, made up of provocations and excesses of language, but with limited repercussions. Since then, improvisation has turned into a political project. The provocative populism of the former businessman and reality television star turned politician (à la Berlusconi) has given way to a consolidated, theorized and ready-to-deploy illiberalism. This illiberalism not only criticizes liberal and progressive values but also advances a real political project, based on a solid and coherent ideological foundation, of which Vance is the most articulate champion.
It can be summed up as follows: The sovereignty of the nation-state is paramount and cannot be limited by supranational laws or institutions; society cannot function without moral authority, and this authority can lead to forms of authoritarianism against democratic institutions if these are deemed dysfunctional or „captured“ by „woke“ elites; laws must be made for the majority, not for minorities; societies must be culturally homogeneous; foreigners can integrate by accepting assimilation, but not by demanding multiculturalism; individuals are not blank cards in terms of identity, but are steeped in history and geography, identity markers that must be protected and valued; cultural norms on family, sex and gender cannot evolve rapidly.
On the international stage, Vance has also advanced a vision for a new illiberal order marked by the return of power. The world’s powerful are competing and negotiating over the future of the planet, while the less powerful are adapting to the limited room for maneuver they have been given. Negotiations disregard moral values and international law, which is seen as ideologically biased in favor of progressive liberalism and contrary to national interests. Relations between countries are transactional and ad hoc: dialogue on one subject, confrontation on another. Ideological affinities may exist between leaders, but they in no way guarantee strategic alignment between countries. Accelerationism – in other words, the idea that speed is needed to shake up the status quo – allows us to catch our competitors off guard.
**Read the full article here:** [**https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2025/02/25/jd-vance-s-illiberalism-doesn-t-just-criticize-liberal-and-progressive-values-it-advances-a-real-political-project_6738536_23.html**](https://www.lemonde.fr/en/opinion/article/2025/02/25/jd-vance-s-illiberalism-doesn-t-just-criticize-liberal-and-progressive-values-it-advances-a-real-political-project_6738536_23.html)
I largely exactly agree with this. It’s obvious that the Trump Administration’s aim is advancing social and cultural Conservatism and nationalism, and they seem to be attempting to recreate a replacement for the post WWII liberal order with one that explicitly promotes Right Wing policy. It perfectly explains the embrace of Russia (which views itself as a bastion of „traditional European values) and the harsh rebuke of Canada which is largely seen by American Conservatives as a rotting, Liberal nightmare.
I believe the implications moving forward will be that nations that wish to do business with the US must embrace social Conservatism and nationalism and engage on a bilateral rather than multilateral basis. It is also likely that the orientation of the US will change drastically each time there’s a party shift in Washington – a MASSIVE global destabilizer as American foreign policy has historically been very consistent between administrations through the last 70 years.
I also agree with the cause – this is all built on a reactionary backlash to social progress and globalization.
In America, this may be a reaction to marriage equality. Once this was enacted, the conservatives thought “ This will keep them happy for a while“. They were mistaken. The push from the progressives was on all fronts. They were guilty of overreaching and the inevitable backlash came in the form of Trump