Anti-Europeanism, especially when framed as opposition to the European Union and broader European integration, has emerged as a political and social stance that is often intertwined with xenophobia, nationalism, and protectionism. On the surface, Anti-European rhetoric critiques the perceived loss of sovereignty, cultural erosion, and economic disadvantages caused by the policies of the EU. However, underneath these arguments lies a deeper historical and ideological connection: the use of Anti-Europeanism as a subtle or “covert” form of antisemitism.
Historical Roots of Antisemitism
To understand how Anti-Europeanism can serve as a form of Antisemitism, it is necessary to explore the historical relationship between Jews, commerce, and the notion of globalism. Throughout European history, Jews were often wrongly associated only with trade, banking, and transnational business. Since medieval times, Jewish communities, due to their exclusion from various guilds, played a prominent role in financial services and international trade. The ability of Jews to establish diasporic networks across Europe and beyond allowed them to thrive in these sectors. This history fed into the antisemitic trope that Jews were inherently “cosmopolitan,” lacking true national loyalty, and working to promote a global capitalist order that benefited their own elite networks at the expense of local populations.
During the 1920s, as cross-border business and commerce became more interconnected, conspiracy theories arose that linked these developments to powerful, shadowy elites. Jewish financiers and businessmen were often accused of manipulating international markets for their own gain, reinforcing the stereotype of the “rootless internationalist.” This narrative was not only directed against Jews but also against the broader concept of cross-border collaboration in finance and trade, which was seen as threatening to national sovereignty and economic nationalism.
Today, these conspiratorial ideas are echoed in Anti-European propaganda that criticizes the EU’s policies of free movement of people, capital, and businesses across borders. Just as Jews were historically persecuted for their perceived role in international trade, modern Anti-European rhetoric also targets European citizens who move, settle, and conduct business across member states. Critics claim that these freedoms serve a hidden agenda benefiting elites at the expense of national identity and control, masking a covert form of Antisemitism under the guise of opposition to globalization and European integration. This modern narrative continues to echo the fears and accusations once levied against Jewish communities for their participation in cross-border commerce, now repurposed to target the freedoms at the heart of the European Union and European citizenship.
The EU, Globalism, and Anti-European Sentiment
The formation of the European Union in the second half of the 20th century, with its core principles of the free movement of people, goods, services, and capital, represented the embodiment of post-nationalist integration and economic cooperation. While the EU was founded to prevent the nationalism that led to two World Wars, it also raised anxieties about globalism and the erosion of traditional nation-states. Anti-European movements have critiqued the EU as a bureaucratic and elitist institution that strips countries of their sovereignty and imposes uniform economic policies that benefit transnational corporations and financial elites at the expense of the average citizen.
Within this Anti-European rhetoric, the connection between the European project and globalism is often coded with antisemitic undertones. Although not always overtly mentioning “Jews”, this discourse draws from the same conspiratorial logic that once blamed “Jewish Global Elites” for orchestrating world events behind the scenes. Modern far-right movements frequently invoke the trope of an international, cosmopolitan elite that supposedly manipulates European integration for its own financial gain, at the expense of the people.
Antisemitism in Anti-European Propaganda
In this context, many Anti-European arguments align closely with traditional antisemitic tropes, even when Jews are not explicitly mentioned. Several examples of this kind of propaganda illustrate how Anti-Europeanism can mask covert AntiSemitism:
- The “Globalist Elite” and Economic Control:
A common theme in Anti-European propaganda is the idea that the EU is controlled by a globalist elite, disconnected from the interests of ordinary citizens. This elite is often portrayed as manipulating the freedom of movement of capital and goods to benefit their own financial interests. While “globalist” is a term that ostensibly refers to multinational corporations and political elites, it frequently serves as a euphemism for “Global Elites”. The portrayal of an elite cabal controlling the economy echoes the antisemitic image of Jewish financiers pulling the strings behind global institutions. For example, figures like George Soros, a Hungarian Jewish financier, have become focal points of conspiracy theories that link the European Union, immigration policies, and financial manipulation to a Jewish-led plot to undermine national sovereignty. Soros, in particular, is often accused of funding pro-European, pro-immigration movements to dilute national identities, an idea that blends Antisemitism with Anti-Europeanism. - The Free Movement of People and Demographic Change:
Another conspiracy of Anti-Europeanism is the opposition to the free movement of people across EU borders, which critics argue leads to uncontrolled immigration and the erosion of national cultures. While this is often framed as a defence of national identity, it can also carry antisemitic undertones. Historically, Jews have been depicted as rootless, wandering people, whose presence in various countries is seen as a threat to national homogeneity. Modern Anti-European movements sometimes channel this idea by framing immigration as part of “Global Elites”-led effort to promote multiculturalism and weaken European nations. The Great Replacement theory, which claims that immigrants are replacing native Europeans through deliberate policies, has antisemitic undertones when proponents suggest that elites are behind this demographic shift. The EU’s support for immigration and refugee resettlement programs is thus seen as part of this broader conspiracy. - The “European Bureaucracy” as a Jewish Global Elites Construct:
Anti-European propaganda often depicts the EU as a faceless, unaccountable bureaucracy that imposes policies without regard for the democratic will of individual nations. This image mirrors the antisemitic trope of the “hidden hand” of the “Global Elite Cabal” influence in government and finance, operating behind the scenes to control world events. The EU’s complex legal and financial structures are presented as intentionally opaque, reinforcing the notion that an elite, possibly Jewish, group is orchestrating European affairs for its own benefit. The Brexit campaign in the UK, for example, saw the use of slogans like “Take Back Control” and imagery that evoked fears of shadowy forces controlling the country from Brussels. While not explicitly antisemitic, this rhetoric fed into long-standing fears of an international conspiracy aimed at undermining national sovereignty—fears historically directed at Jews.
The parallel nature of Anti-Europeanism and Antisemitism
The overlap between Anti-Europeanism and Antisemitism is not accidental. Both share a common ideological foundation: the rejection of cosmopolitanism, multiculturalism, and global cooperation in favor of nationalism, homogeneity, and isolationism. Just as antisemitism historically targeted Jews for their perceived role as agents of internationalism and modernity, Anti-Europeanism targets the EU for representing a new form of transnational governance and economic integration. While not all critiques of the European Union are antisemitic, the underlying themes of anti-globalism, opposition to international elites, and fear of demographic change often draw from the same well of antisemitic ideas that have been present in European society for centuries. In this sense, Anti-Europeanism can serve as a covert form of antisemitism, employing coded language and imagery that taps into the historical association of Jews with global financial and political power.
Anti-Europeanism, particularly in its most xenophobic and nationalist forms, frequently overlaps with covert antisemitism. By casting the EU as a tool of global elites, intent on undermining national sovereignty and promoting mass immigration, Anti-European rhetoric mirrors traditional antisemitic conspiracy theories that depict “secretive conspiratorial cabals” as manipulating world events for their own gain. While the language of modern political discourse may avoid explicit references to Europeanism and Jews, the underlying narrative remains deeply rooted in centuries-old prejudices. Understanding this connection is crucial for recognizing how contemporary political movements continue to perpetuate antisemitic ideas under the guise of opposing European integration and globalism.
