I’m considering a move to somewhere in the EU, and would like to go somewhere thats pretty progressive, and is less likely to have a far right government in power any time soon. Where is best?
I’m considering a move to somewhere in the EU, and would like to go somewhere thats pretty progressive, and is less likely to have a far right government in power any time soon. Where is best?
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Are you willing to integrate, speak the language, secure housing before you come, and make sure you have an income? These (especially the first) are the bigges problems when Americans think they can move everywhere on a whim and become an ‘expat’ without integrating in society. If not, just stay home and keep daydreaming. We have a housing crisis, Americans are widely disliked, and integration is a big topic when it comes to immigrants/refugees. You will have to work for it.
Progressive and “not going to elect right wing” is becoming a bit antithesis.
Those progressive areas are also ones with culture-divide propaganda pushed hardest on them, so the other side of society pushes harder for far right-wing parties.
Whereas many places less progressive ‘on paper’* might actually be less likely to elect them.
Say Lithuania. On paper there’s no legalized gay marriage yet (we’re working on it!). However society by itself, especially in cities, is kind and accepting, while being more acutely aware of propaganda/misinformation when they see it, so less people fall for far-right nonsense either. (And the conservative party actually votes 79% for* civil partnership laws for same-sex relationships, go figure)
Although places in Scandinavia probably best encompass what you’re looking for – if we’re talking real progressive
(As compared to America, in Europe Democrats would mostly be considered centrist centre-left with some exceptions)
Ireland has its issues like housing and bad public transport but it doesn’t have a far right political party.
Which languages do you speak? You will get along for a few weeks with English in major cities or tourist spots, but when it comes to signing contracts or deal with officials, you need to be able to understand and speak the local language.
What is your profession? And is your diploma recognized in the EU? Or do you have to start over from scratch here? Example: a US law degree is useless here; we have different laws and often very different procedures. A qualified plumber or MD has universal applicable qualification though.
Start with these two before looking any further.
Most countries are multi party democratic systems. So there are multiple parties with each another political color and in the end they not the compromize to form a coalition. Also every country has their own important topics which are discussed. If you want to know which direction a certain country goes you need to learn about the country, its politics and history.
On top of that, you might first want to check where you can go. Where you can live and work. Which languages do you speak and what qualifications are give you a ticket to a country.
My crystal ball doesn’t work on politics. Jokes aside, I don’t think that any EU country is going to have far right governemnt any time soon. Right yes – far right no. I would even argue that many countries don’t even have significant left parties, so the choice is always between center right and more center right.
All places are prone to the far right. That’s just how it is. It happens when the old parties reach a certain level of incompetence.
This is a tricky question, the whole of Europe is tense right now. While we recover from the idiot actions from the orange blob, the far right might pop up because people are upset. My first thought was Poland, but your view of a progressive and “headed in the right direction” country might be wildly different. I’d also like to add that our countries different a lot in culture.
Which countries in Europe have you been so far?
OP, if this is all the info you’re giving, it’s very difficult to answer your question. You cannot just freely choose which country you fancy, visa rules are more complex than that.
Plus that – what is progressive, what is far-right? The Dutch far right PVV is pretty progressive compared to Trump. While the German far right AfD makes you want to hold up your right arm already a lot more.
And if progressive is hardcore American wokism to you, then you’re going to be disappointed, as that doesn’t really exist in the same form here – apart from some specific cities maybe.
At the same time, most (if not all) EU countries on average are more progressive and just a genuinely nicer place to live, depending on what you’re looking for. But unless you meet certain criteria, you will never get a permanent visa.
Almost any country in (western) Europe suffers from both a housing crisis and a rise in anti-immigration rhrtoric. Just look at the latest election results in France, Germany or the Netherlands. I doubt the coming decade will be favorable one for immigrating here.
In Europe or in the political union the EU? Norway for example is super progressive, but not in the EU. Mostly any western country (I mean the ideological west, not geographically west only) should be fine.
I would say the irish election system blocks out the majority of far-right/far-left. They can get one or two elected candidates in the parliament at best.
However the populism driven far-right ideology becomes more and more mainstream everywhere in europe (as majority of the governments are messed up their social policy/immigration policy so it’ll led to more and more unhappy voices which is the prime soil of far-right ideologies)
Where can you work and get a visa, is the bigger question? Unless you plan to get a golden visa somewhere. Or are you a student? In any case, best to check your visa options first.
Government wise, you probably won’t want to be in Hungary et al. at the moment, but each country usually does have a far right party, just differs how strong they are.
All the Scandinavian countries are pretty progressive politically and culturally although I’d avoid Finland – too close to Russia and an unusual language which may be difficult to learn. The other Scandinavian languages are quite similar – if you learn Danish, for example, you’d be able to make yourself understood in Sweden, Norway and Iceland. Of course, the weather is not so great …
Perhaps Portugal?
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“Progressive” places usually have a high amount of Muslim immigration, which in turn have many far-right traits; conservative/nationalist/religious.
Many people here are pointing to the housing crisis, which is a problem for much of the world right now, as a reason not to move to Europe. It’s only part of the story though; in the cities where people need to work, housing supply is expensive and limited, and yet there are smaller towns and villages that are declining in population where houses sit vacant for years. My house in rural Portugal had been on and off the market for 10 years before I bought it. The reason is there’s little work out here, and the jobs that are available are largely low paying manual labor jobs. If you don’t need to work or are fully remote, you should focus on areas like that, where you won’t be taking up valuable housing stock from the locals who need it and where the money you put into the local economy will do the most good. Almost anywhere outside of Hungary will meet the other criteria you mentioned, so pick a place where you’ll best be able to learn the language and integrate as opposed to focusing on politics.
Just don’t come to Spain. Things already too expensive for the locals because americans come to our cities with their dollars and inflate rent prices
We are pretty liberal in Finland, there is no housing crisis but the language is very hard and the job market is absolutely terrible even for Finns. I would never move here without having a job in advance.
Most European countries—except for a few outliers—are progressive, especially compared to the US. What matters most is finding an ideal country with a favorable job market that will accept you despite any language or cultural shortcomings. You’ll hear all sorts of positive and negative stories from Americans who have migrated, but some aspects—like success in finding a job—are simply not universally comparable these days.
Since mid-2023, the job market has gradually become more difficult and selective for certain profiles. Some multinational companies that used to hire English speakers with little consideration now, 80% of the time, prefer candidates who speak the local language—and ideally, at least one additional European language. Why? Because they can. It’s a strategy to narrow the candidate pool, as companies are currently unwilling to invest in training foreign hires.
Obviously, you need to do thorough research, and it won’t be easy—it may take weeks or even months to identify suitable countries. Once you do, be sure to secure a job before relocating. There are countless stories of foreigners arriving with great optimism, only to end up unemployed and discouraged after 7–8 months. So, take your time and make sure you’re well-informed about your target countries.
Indeed if you can do your job mostly from home, a house in a village is the best affordable option. Be prepared then to buy a car, as typically public transportation to these villages could be very scarce. Think about what country and its culture and climate fits your lifestyle the best and prepare to learn the language. Basically every European country is more progressive than Texas, however Balkan countries tend to be the most conservative ones. Hungary I would avoid for now, as they are experiencing a trump like shitshow for the last decade or so. Scandinavian countries have easier languages to learn and are quite progressive, even their nationalistic parties would not turn back the clock on LGBT rights.
The Nordic countries are in general very progressive and are more resistant to the far right.
Ireland is another good option, not sure if it is as progressive but the far right there is very, very weak.
Sorry but this feels like such a very Reddit question when assuming that progressive always equals good and desirable, while a more moderate or even conservative approach is automatically always bad. It of course depends on what you mean by progressive, as well as what you mean by conservative. There is definitely culture, traditions and values that are very much worth preserving and protecting. We have already seen the huge backlash in the US from ordinary people against progressives moving too far towards the extreme cultural Left in a way that the popular majority does not agree with, and a similar backlash against extreme progressiveness is happening in Europe as well.
Please understand that there are no save points in politics. The political direction of a country is constantly negotiated.
You can’t just go into a country that’s progressive now, do nothing, and expect it to stay progressive forever.
If you do nothing, enough people who want the opposite from you and are actually active will push the politics in their preferred direction.
Firstly, you will need skilled qualifications and a job offer in the EU in order for you even to get a visa, unless you’re going for a digital nomad visa. Secondly, jt will depend on your nationality as some countries let more people of a certain nationality than others (Ireland and the Netherlands give more visas to Americans, Portugal and Spain give more visas to latin americans etc)
Now, depending on “progressive”, just a note is that Europe has a wide range of social views even within countries, and honestly can sometimes be more of an urban/rural divide. For example, Berlin is known for being okay with all kinds of freaky shit, but your average villager in Bavaria if you show up to his doorstep with dyed hair and a spike black metal jacket will just shut the door in your face. However, the one thing I will say is that many european countries are facing a hard backlash against immigration, but this is mostly against refugees from africa and the middle east so unless you are from there you should be fine. I’m an american who moved over to the UK years ago and have never been given shit for being an immigrant. This does not disclude the fact that many continental european countries are quite racist especially the further south you go. The following suggestions I will give below are on my assumption that you are American
Language and visa/permit considerations are big. You’ll not go far with only English (apart from Ireland, Malta, maybe Cyprus).
There’s also the trick of integration, which isn’t always so easy even if you speak the language.
Denmark is progressive pretty much across the board, and its left-leaning parties are also into restricting immigration to good voter draws. Even before this turn, Denmark was pretty tough for immigration regulations. Denmark is considered a happy nation, etc — but as an outsider, it can feel pretty cold, and the people overall, while not intending any ill-intent (usually), are not all that welcoming. They have their circles already, and you aren’t in it. You may well struggle to find a social circle, even with Danish. The Nordics and Germany are pretty similar in this regard.
That’s the conundrum. It’s true for many places.
If I were you (speaking as a foreigner here for a long long time now), research what climates and cultures are interesting to you. Also what your education and career prospects align with.
There is no Shangri-La though. Europe is not the Undying Lands off to the western seas. The world is in a new political paradigm, and it’s here to stay. No setting the clock back. There are places where post-truth populism is less a force for now, but that doesn’t mean it won’t be in the next 10-15 years. It’ll probably get worse before it gets better. Everywhere.
those are meaningless buzzowords. What are you actually looking for?
what laws, what systems, policies are important for you?
Another American who listens to mainstream American media fawn about the utopia of Europe yet many European countries deal with illegals stressing their economy and other sundry issues. Europeans aren’t enamored with identity politics and open borders like the American progressive or printing money like a 5 year old. Tell me you’ve never left America without telling me you’ve never left America. Good grief.
I know I’m a broken record, but do you have SKILLS where an EU country would want you, and do you currently speak the languages required?
The most progressive country is probably the UK, because they had Pink Floyd, King Crimson, Yes, Genesis and so many more.
To be fair, Italy, Germany and Spain for example also had their strongly progressive periods. Zarathustra by Museo Rosenbach is one of my favourite albums of all time. Focus is a Dutch band. There’s a few, yeah.
>!/s!<