It was a coincidence that somewhere around the auspicious period of Buddha Purnima, the French people decisively voted for the forces of moderation, rejecting the hawkish Right in no uncertain terms. In view of the emergence of new leadership in the US and the rise of the Right, the French elections were watched keenly by global observers. Apprehensions in the wake of the growing xenophobic nationalism all around the world have mounted. In this era of extreme views, the results of the French elections symbolise sanity and moderation, which has been the central lesson of Buddhism. Buddha’s Middle Path is the answer to the present day problems of the world that is witnessing kerfuffle and chaos every day. Buddha’s central message preached moderation in thought, speech and action or as we prefer to say in Sanskrit: Mansa, vacha, karmna.
But what we are witnessing is just the opposite as the world appears to be sitting on the powder keg. The victory of the centrist ideas in France, thus, gives some reasons to heave a sigh of relief to those engaged in crystal ballgazing of the world. The Economist in its story last month had said that the French presidential elections were a clash of world views. While Marine le Pen presented herself as a strong woman symbolising xenophobic nationalism, Emmanuel Macron was the face of moderation. The assumption that the world now belonged to the nationalist populists had gained momentum post Brexit. With Donald Trump’s trumpeting further adding strength to the extreme world views that there is only one best way, the global scenario suggested something that did not augur well. With due apologies to Tennyson, it appeared that the charge of the right brigade was difficult to stop. But the victory of Macron in France validates the hypothesis that moderation is the voice of reason and ultimately the answer.
The recent electoral outcomes, then, in European countries like Holland and Austria were more like trends rather than exceptions. For one commentator, Macron’s victory had been a great achievement in this “age of Trump’s fake news, fake claims and overall fakeness’’, demonstrating that rationality and coherence still matter in politics, shrill campaigns arousing nationalism with fascist streak notwithstanding. The answer to global problems lies in more globalisation, that is, openness and moderation, the middle path rather than the pseudo righteous Right. The hawkish versus moderate, the right versus the liberal debate had given way to a new counterpoint of nationalist versus the globalist with the so-called strong leaders projecting themselves as champions of an alternative world order. In Macron, the French electorate affirmed that globalisation is a fact and the wheel cannot be turned back. Of course, there is need for some intelligent regulation rather than rampant globalisation. An analogy can be drawn with the game of football in which the left and the right flank forwards do matter but it is the centre forward whose role is critical in coordinating the two extremes. In the present times, when rabid nationalism attempts to sow hatred amongst races and religions, Macron’s victory appears like the silver lining in an otherwise sombre atmosphere. Of course, generalisation may be premature at this stage and we need more data to conclude anything substantial, but at least the French verdict spells out a message of hope and openness rather than a cloistered world view. The world need more of caring and compassion rather than populist nationalism.
The writer is a professor of management and public Speaker,he can be reached at ppathak.ism@gmail.com