Good morning. We're covering immigration's role in European and U.S. politics — as well as Hunter Biden, South African politics and BTS.
A dominant issueThe recent elections for the European Parliament are the latest sign of the political potency of immigration. The elections' biggest winners were right-wing parties that promised to reduce the flow of migration. In today's newsletter, I'll explain why this subject is shaping Western politics and what may happen next. Rapid changeThe first thing to understand is how unusual the modern migration boom has been. In nearly every large Western country, the foreign-born share of the population has risen sharply since 1990:
It's not clear whether immigration has ever previously risen so quickly in so many different countries. (If anything, the chart here understates the trend because it ends in 2020, the last year with available data.) This migration boom has had big advantages. It has allowed millions of people to escape poverty and violence. It has diversified Western culture. It has brought workers into Europe and the U.S. who have held down the cost of labor-intensive businesses. But the boom has also had downsides. More labor competition can obviously hurt the workers who already live in a country. Governments have strained to provide social services to the arrivals. And the rise in immigration has been so rapid that many citizens feel uncomfortable with the associated societal changes. Historically, major immigration increases tend to spark political backlashes. The pattern has held in recent years. The shockingly successful Brexit campaign in 2016 emphasized immigration. So have Europe's fast-growing, far-right political parties. In the U.S., polls show that immigration threatens President Biden's re-election. For years, mainstream Western politicians, from the center-right to the center-left to the left, have dismissed voters' concerns about immigration. Some politicians describe it as a free lunch, with only economic benefits and no costs. They portray worries about immigration — worries shared by millions of people of different races, especially those with lower incomes — as inherently ignorant or xenophobic. Some politicians claim that governments are helpless to control their borders. Many voters responded by drifting to the only parties that promised to reduce immigration — parties on the extreme right. To be clear, these parties do traffic in racism, as well as conspiracy theories, violent rhetoric and authoritarianism. To many voters, though, the parties were also the one part of the political system willing to listen to public opinion about rising immigration. Andrew Sullivan, the political journalist (and an immigrant to the U.S.), points out that the disconnect has been particularly stark over the past few years. "As the public tried to express a desire to slow down the pace of demographic change, elites in London, Ottawa and Washington chose to massively accelerate it," Sullivan wrote on Substack. "It's as if they saw the rise in the popularity of the far right and said to themselves: Well now, how can we really get it to take off?" In the elections for the European Parliament this week, the National Rally, Marine Le Pen's far-right party, won more votes than any other in France. In Germany, the AfD, an ultranationalist party, finished second, ahead of the left-leaning party that governs the country. In Italy, the right-wing party that already runs the country finished first. A new tack?
It wasn't so long ago that the political left and center took a different approach to immigration. They treated it as a complex issue that required moderation. President Barack Obama and Senator Bernie Sanders both fell into this category. They were part of a progressive tradition dating to labor and civil rights leaders who celebrated immigrants — but also supported tough border security, believing that unchecked immigration could destabilize society and increase inequality. There are some signs that the center-left and center-right are returning to this approach and becoming more respectful of public opinion:
The moves by Japan and South Korea are a recognition of immigration's unavoidable complexity. Very high levels of immigration can cause political and economic problems. So can very low levels. What's next? Britain and France will hold domestic elections in the next month. Those elections will be more telling than this week's, Matina says, because voters typically care more about their own government than about the E.U.
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Opinions More than 60,000 evacuated residents of northern Israel also need a cease-fire in Gaza, Mairav Zonszein writes. Factory farms produce cheap meat and dairy. They also increase consumers' risk of contracting viruses like bird flu, David Quammen writes. Here are columns by Thomas Edsall on the Biden campaign and Bret Stephens on Biden's theory of victory. The Games Sale. Limited time offer. Come play with us. Subscribe to New York Times Games for 50% off your first year. Strengthen your Wordle strategy with WordleBot (now in the app), reach Genius on Spelling Bee, and play The Crossword, Tiles and more.
Lives Lived: The man believed to be the oldest in the U.S. has died at 110. Morrie Markoff was born six months before World War I began. He walked regularly, blogged and read The Los Angeles Times every morning until his final months. His brain will be donated for research on aging. Food trucks: Why are prices going up? We break down the costs of one brisket sandwich. Wordle tips: The game's editor has some expert tricks for you. The vaquita porpoise: Meet the most endangered marine mammal. High Valley Books: Inside the Greenpoint apartment — and bookstore — where stylish Brooklynites peruse a vast collection of vintage magazines.
N.F.L.: The Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers is not at the team's mandatory minicamp, coach Robert Saleh said, as Rodgers is attending an "event that's important to him." Golf: Jon Rahm, a two-time major winner, will not play in this weekend's U.S. Open because of a toe infection.
When "Suffs," a musical about the suffragists' crusade, premiered Off Broadway in 2022, reviews were mixed. But after two years, and extensive revisions, "Suffs" is on Broadway and nominated for six Tony Awards. Elisabeth Vincentelli writes about the many changes the show's creators made, including the addition of a catchy song, "G.A.B." More on culture
Pan-fry crumbled tortillas then mix with cheesy eggs, jalapeño, onion and garlic. Clean a smelly tent. Play music in your backyard from one of these speakers.
Here is today's Spelling Bee. Yesterday's pangram was legitimize. And here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle, Sudoku, Connections and Strands. Thanks for spending part of your morning with The Times. See you tomorrow. —David Sign up here to get this newsletter in your inbox. Reach our team at themorning@nytimes.com.
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Vendimi i Gjykatës së Romës, goditje ndaj planeve të Melonit, kryeministrja
italiane: Nuk i takon gjyqësorit të thotë se cilat vende janë të sigurta
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Një gjykatë në Romë urdhëroi të premten kthimin në Itali të grupit të vogël
të migrantëve që u dërguan në kampet e pritjes të ngritura nga qeveria
italia...
Hace 4 horas
