Europe’s freedom is under pressure from many directions. Russia wages hybrid warfare through cyberattacks, propaganda and disinformation. China increasingly uses economic influence and political pressure to silence criticism and weaken European unity.
But another threat is growing inside Europe itself - radical Islamism.
For years, warnings about Islamist extremism were often dismissed as exaggerated or politically inconvenient. That is becoming harder to do. Across Europe, surveys now show deeply worrying attitudes among significant parts of younger Muslim populations, particularly regarding democracy, Sharia law and antisemitism.
This is no longer a fringe issue.
Germany’s Warning Signs
A recent study by Germany’s Federal Criminal Police Office shocked many observers. According to the survey, nearly half of Muslims under 40 in Germany expressed either open or hidden sympathy for Islamist ideas. Large numbers supported placing Sharia law above the German constitution.
Antisemitism has also risen dramatically. In 2021, 12.5% of Muslims surveyed expressed antisemitic views. By 2025, that figure had more than doubled to 27.2%.
Among Muslims under 40, the increase was even sharper — from 11.3% to 29.1%.
These numbers matter because they reveal something deeper than religious conservatism. They point to the growth of parallel value systems inside European societies — systems where religion stands above democratic law, where hostility toward Jews is increasingly normalized, and where Western society itself is viewed with suspicion or resentment.
A liberal democracy cannot survive if large numbers of people reject the values that sustain it.
Vienna’s Growing Crisis
Austria faces similar problems, especially in Vienna.
Muslims now make up a major share of the younger generation in the Austrian capital. Among students in Vienna’s public schools, 42% identify as Muslim.
A recent survey found that 41% of Muslims aged 14–24 believe Islamic rules should take priority over Austrian law. Nearly two thirds said religious rules should govern all aspects of daily life. Around 46% declared they were willing to “fight and die” for their religion.
These are not marginal figures. Already a year ago, Vienna’s own authorities warned publicly about rising antisemitism and growing rejection of equality between men and women among parts of Muslim youth.
How Europe Got Here
The situation did not emerge overnight.
Twenty years ago, Austria’s Muslim population mainly consisted of Turkish workers and refugees from the Balkans, many of whom practiced a relatively moderate form of Islam. Since 2015, however, large-scale migration from countries such as Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan has significantly changed the composition of Europe’s Muslim communities.
Europe’s leaders encouraged mass migration without seriously asking whether integration was actually succeeding. Now the consequences are becoming impossible to ignore.
Radical Islamism and Democratic Values
This is not an argument against Muslims as individuals, the vast majority of whom live peacefully within European societies. It is an argument against radical Islamist ideology — a movement fundamentally hostile to secular democracy, freedom of speech, women’s equality and Jewish communities.
Europe made a catastrophic mistake by pretending that all cultures and value systems are automatically compatible.
They are not.
A Political Earthquake in the Making
The surveys emerging from Germany and Austria should serve as a wake-up call for the entire continent. If mainstream political leaders continue avoiding the issue out of fear or political caution, voters will increasingly turn toward parties that promise more radical solutions.
That is already happening.
In Germany, support for AfD continues to rise. In Austria, FPÖ is gaining strength. Across Europe, voters increasingly believe establishment parties either cannot or will not confront the problem.
Europe still has time to reverse course. But defending a free society requires more than slogans about tolerance and diversity. It requires confidence in Europe’s own democratic values — and the courage to defend them.
