| When there is a terrorist attack, some political observers are quick to dub the issue a mere ‘lone wolf’ event – describing violence, without the motive that brought it about. This is a mistake and prevents us from getting to the core of the dangerous ideologies that drive individuals to commit such violence – and avoiding it in the future. The individual, although isolated and possibly insane, is usually not solely in the grip of a delusional attack. In the case of Arras last week and Brussels on Monday, it was a case of two men pumped with Islamist ideology. While French President Emmanuel Macron named the attacks as Islamic extremism, almost all EU leaders – chief diplomat Josep Borrell, European Parliament President Roberta Metsola, EU Council President Charles Michel, and Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen – have described ‘murders’, ‘attacks’ or ‘terrorism’, without attributing an ideology. “The emotion expressed and the tribute ceremonies are no longer enough to quell the deep-seated concern and anger felt by the country,” former Socialist French Prime Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said about the importance of qualifying terrorism. Terrorism in Europe has traditionally been organised, structured and linked to specific aims, such as that of the Mafia in Italy, ETA in Spain, republican and loyalist armed groups in Northern Ireland, and so on. They had a clear goal and an almost military organisation style. But for several years now, a new way of describing terrorism has emerged: that of the “isolated individual”. There is always a risk of commentators describing a massacre as the work of a single mad individual. In terms of criminal law, their madness often absolves them from responsibility for their heinous acts. But it is a mistake to transpose this into political and public discourse without risking excusing their actions. We must name the problems that lie at the root cause of the act. | 