Anti-Europeanism

For discrimination against native Europeans and/or people of European origin, see Anti-white.

Anti-Europeanism refers to rejection of the culture of Europe and Europeanisation, sentiments, opinions and discrimination against European ethnic groups, and criticism of policies of European governments and the European Union. In practice, a broad range of attitudes and actions critical of or opposed to specific European countries or Europe generally have been labeled anti-Europeanism.

Range

Many anti-European attitudes are related to political foreign policy differences, either those of the EU or those of one or more European countries, and then broaden opposition to unrelated aspects associated with European society. When several European governments did not support the 2003 invasion of Iraq, their refusal prompted criticism from politicians and columnists in the United States. In these cases, anti-European attitudes also reflected domestic policy concerns about the possible results if European policies were to be adopted there.

A current example is Eurabia, a political neologism and portmanteau of Europe and Arabia. Some aspects of anti-Europeanism, in the United States and elsewhere, are rooted in the history of colonialism and its impact and aftermath in former European colonies, particularly since World War II.

Anti-Europeanism has always had a strong influence in American culture and American exceptionalism, which sometimes sees Europe on the decline or as a rising rival power, or both. Some aspects cover Europe's comparably weak defence budgets, an alleged lack of resolve against enemies abroad, welfare state and regulation, and a left-leaning political culture when compared with the United States. The ideological split between reverence for European refinery and classics and an emerging anti-French and anti-European sentiment played already a role between John Adams, Alexander Hamilton and their fellow Federalists and Thomas Jefferson and other Democratic-Republicans urging closer ties. It has in so far always been as well a projection of inner American conflicts and differences. While having some overlaps, Anti-Europeanism is distinct from Euroscepticism, which refers to uneasiness with some EU policies. Especially some aspects of the Euroscepticism in the United Kingdom has been mirrored and parroted by US authors. Its opposite concept is Europhilia.

See also

• Anti-Americanism
• Stereotypes of Americans
• Anti-British sentiment
• Anti-German sentiment
• Anti-white
• Europeanism
• Eurocentrism
• Euroscepticism
• Eurotrash (term)
• Francophobia
• Italophobia
• Pan-European identity
• Freedom fries