Thirty years ago, many Europeans saw multiculturalism— the embrace of
an inclusive, diverse society—as an answer to Europe’s social problems.
Today, a growing number consider it to be a cause of them. That
perception has led some mainstream politicians, including British Prime
Minister David Cameron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel, to publicly
denounce multiculturalism and speak out against its dangers. It has
fueled the success of far-right parties and populist politicians across
Europe, from the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands to the National
Front in France. And in the most extreme cases, it has inspired obscene
acts of violence, such as Anders Behring Breivik’s homicidal rampage on
the Norwegian island of Utoya in July 2011.