Among the fundamental likeness between the RevolutionaryRepublicans and theAnarchists is the recognition that the little must precede the great; that the local must be the basis of the general; that there can be a free federation only when there are free communities to federate; that the spirit of the latter is carried into the councils of the former, and a local tyranny may thus become an instrument for general enslavement.
The onlysocial system that can possibly meet the diverse needs of society, while still promoting solidarity on the widest scale, is one that allows people tofreely associate on the basis of common needs and interests. Federalism emphasizesautonomy anddecentralization, fosters solidarity and complements groups’ efforts to be as self-sufficient as possible. Groups can then be expected to cooperate as long as they derive mutual benefit. Contrary to theCapitalistlegal system and itscontracts, if such benefits are not felt to be mutual in an Anarchist society, any group will have the freedom to dissociate. In this manner a flexible and self-regulating social organism will be created, always ready to meet new needs by new organizations and adjustments. Federalism is not a type ofAnarchism, but it is an essential part of Anarchism. It is the joining of groups and peoples for political and economic survival and livelihood.
The federalist adventure, so assured in itsidealism, had always required the honouring ofRousseau’ssocial contract, a consensual relationship between thestate and thecitizen.Europe’s diverse peoples would support union, but only insofar as it did not infringe their perceived character and way of life. Europe’s boomingcities might be able to absorb change, but this was not true of formerlyindustrial provinces, rural areas and ageing populations.Britain’s pro-Brexit voters–heavily provincial, rural and older–reflected this divide.Parties variously labelledright-wing,nationalist orpopulist gainedstrength in most if not all European states, responding to a call forvoters to ‘take back control’ of their political and social environment. Most alarmingly, the 2016 World Values Survey reported that ‘fewer than half’ of respondents born in theseventies andeighties believed it was ‘essential to live in a country that isgoverneddemocratically’. InGermany,Spain,Japan andAmerica, between twenty and forty per cent would prefer ‘a strongleader who does not have to bother withparliaments orelections’.
Simon Jenkins,A Short History of Europe: From Pericles to Putin (2018)
