In Canada, between Winnipeg and Ukraine: A reflection on the rise of extremes

I had the honor of being invited, as a Colonel of Europol, to the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg (Canada) for a conference dedicated to the rise of extremes. My subject was the fate of Ukrainian children abducted and deported by Russia. This meeting shed light on the scale of a crime that should leave no one indifferent. But it also revealed another burning issue that cuts across all our societies: the rise of the far right worldwide.

Throughout the discussions with students, researchers, and citizens in attendance, one concern kept surfacing: why do we see this constant growth of extremist, authoritarian, and intolerant ideologies everywhere? Why are these discourses—discourses we thought relegated to history—once again attracting a growing portion of populations?

The question is fundamental because it transcends borders. From Europe to America, from Asia to Africa, the same symptoms appear rejection of traditional institutions, loss of trust in elites, disillusionment with globalization, fear of economic, social, migratory, and identity crises. But perhaps there is an even more disturbing explanation.

Perhaps the rise of the far right is not only the product of its own strength, but also the direct consequence of the existence of extremes on the other side. When some impose a radical, ideological vision—sometimes disconnected from citizens’ daily realities—they inevitably fuel anger and resentment. When debate becomes binary, when nuance disappears, when every moderate opinion is swept aside, society polarizes. In that void, extremes thrive, reinforce one another, and ultimately occupy the entire political and media space.

This is a dangerous spiral. Each time we tolerate or justify one extreme, we prepare the ground for the emergence of its opposite. The history of the 20th century taught us this at an exorbitant cost. And yet, we seem doomed to repeat the same mistakes, as if we had learned nothing.

Speaking about Ukrainian children in Winnipeg reminded me that these phenomena are not separate. Children torn from their homeland suffer the violence of an extreme ideological project—one in which a regime denies their identity to reshape them according to its own dogmas. In our democracies, the rise of extremes reflects the same logic: the denial of others, the crushing of dialogue, the imposition of a single vision.

So, what is the rise of extremes a response to? It is a response to fear, to anger, but also to the arrogance and blindness of those who refuse to listen. If we fail to restore nuance, social justice, and respect for differences—as long as we fail to recreate spaces for sincere dialogue—we will continue to see extremes feeding off one another.

The true urgency is not just to acknowledge this rise, but to break the vicious circle. Politicians, intellectuals, citizens: each has a responsibility. For democracy is never guaranteed. It must be defended, every day, against extremes—wherever they come from.