Springsteen Speaks Out on Political Leaders and Emerging Health Risks in Europe

Bruce Springsteen, the legendary American rock and roll troubadour, knows how to take down a politician too. He specifically called out former President Donald Trump and tech entrepreneur Elon Musk. His observations capture the spirit of a rising concern over Europe’s public health challenges. The increasing tropical disease threats from diseases such as dengue and chikungunya are especially worrisome.

Springsteen spared no words in describing Trump, calling him “corrupt, incompetent and treasonous.” These colorful incantations speak to the artist’s frustrations with the outgoing president’s imprint on society. In the post, Springsteen criticized Musk’s outsized power over American society. He underscored the threats of unchecked technology and social media, particularly the harms to young people.

And the public health concerns that Springsteen speaks to are right on the nose – similar trends are emerging in Europe. Our rapidly changing climate shifted the range of these disease-carrying insects, allowing them to spread north into Europe. This trend dramatically raises the likelihood of dengue and chikungunya becoming endemic in the region. Public health officials on the ground are understandably alarmed. Such tropical diseases, previously confined to florid latitudes, now pose a clear and present danger by virtue of shifting environmental conditions.

In neighboring Hungary, Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party pushed through a repressive bill targeting civil society organizations as part of an effort to eliminate dissent and independent thought. Advocates for democracy and human rights have sounded alarm bells over this proposal. It’s a near replica of Russia’s legislative initiatives to silence dissent. Opponents say that this bill adds to an established trend of democratic backsliding occurring in Hungary. They think it’s even more freedom and civil liberties-restricting.

Springsteen’s political and social poetics are now colliding with alarming health realities, particularly in Europe. This brings us to an important crucible in our socio-political and public health climates. Climate change is transforming the world’s ecosystems faster than ever before. At the same time, governments face internal resistance, which has proved powerful enough to repeatedly thwart civil society and public health.