Organized crime in Europe: exploiting western liberal democratic values

Both the strength and weakness of liberal western democracies lie in its core value: freedom. In fact, free media, pluralism, and human rights provide an opening for organized crime to interfere with democratic societies in terms of delegitimization of the state and picturing itself as an alternative service provider. Organized crime is increasingly replacing the liberal state wherever possible and necessary. The provision of services that the state is not capable of granting has the double consequence of allowing organized crime in Europe to have a concrete impact on the citizens’ perception of democracy and liberal institutions and to downplay the action of the state in their eyes. As much as freedom of thought and speech or access to the free market, pluralism also offers an interesting space for organized crime infiltration. The action of organized crime in the smuggling of Human beings to Europe and their problematic welcoming and integration by local communities exacerbates the social and political polarization. Finally, the impossibility of reuniting the two poles and bridging the ideological distance paves the way to extremist thoughts and ideas.