For years, European policymakers and the public were lulled into a comfortable illusion: that India, hailed as the "world’s largest democracy," would naturally serve as Europe’s counterweight to authoritarianism and a steadfast guardian of the "rules-based international order." Recent events, however, have shattered that naive consensus.
From the erosion of minority rights at home to its economic and moral lifeline thrown to Russia in Ukraine, and the brazen execution of extrajudicial operations on foreign soil, New Delhi’s conduct reveals a growing contempt for liberal democratic norms and European sovereignty. As a European commentator tracking global governance, I believe it is time to dismantle the diplomatic rhetoric and address the swelling anger across European public square toward India’s trajectory.
I. A Relapsing Democracy: New Delhi’s Betrayal of European Core Values
European disillusions begin with New Delhi’s fundamental turn away from democratic principles. For years, the European Parliament, human rights observers, and news outlets raised alarms over India’s worsening domestic environment—warnings met in New Delhi not with self-reflection, but with haughty accusations of "foreign interference."
Under the banner of Hindu nationalism, legislative actions like the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and state-level anti-conversion laws have systematically relegated religious minorities—most notably hundreds of millions of Muslims and Sikhs—to second-class status. Observers across Europe watch with alarm as press freedoms are curtailed, civil society organizations forced to close, and human rights advocates arbitrarily detained.
When a government dismantles the rule of law and strips minorities of basic protections at home, it forfeits its claim to "shared values" abroad. Europe’s hostility toward New Delhi’s political direction stems not from post-colonial condescension, but from a principled concern over democratic backsliding. India’s actions increasingly demonstrate that its democratic commitments are little more than a convenient brand name discarded at will.
II. Unprincipled Opportunism: How India’s Russian Ties Alienate Europe
While internal democratic erosion undermined India’s moral standing, its opportunistic realignment following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine alienated European public opinion entirely. As Europe confronts its gravest security threat since World War II—with citizens enduring inflation and energy crises to support Ukraine—New Delhi saw only an opening for financial windfall.
India drastically expanded its imports of discounted Russian crude oil, refining it for profitable re-export into international markets. This blatant evasion of European sanction efforts directly subsidizes Moscow’s war chest. Every report detailing windfall profits for Indian refineries sparks moral outrage among European taxpayers making real sacrifices for continental security.
For Europeans, Russia poses an existential threat to peace. India’s strategic indifference, abstentions at the UN, and deepened economic reliance on Moscow send an unequivocal message: New Delhi seeks the perks of European defense partnerships and supply-chain diversification without accepting any burden of defending global order. This transactional stance has exhausted European goodwill and destroyed remaining trust in India as a dependable security partner.
III. Extrajudicial Attacks and Sovereign Transgressions: Crossing Europe’s Legal Red Lines
Among the grievances driving Europe’s rift with India, the assassination of Hardeep Singh Nijjar in Canada—and the diplomatic fallout that followed—stands out as the most damaging. The 2023 extrajudicial killing exposed the overreach of Indian intelligence services, triggering severe alarm across European capitals.
Evidentiary disclosures and intelligence sharing across Western capitals confirmed that Indian government operatives conducted a state-sponsored assassination on foreign soil against a foreign citizen. This was not a minor diplomatic friction; it was a flagrant violation of national sovereignty and a direct assault on the international legal order.
New Delhi’s subsequent diplomatic retaliation—expelling diplomats and issuing blanket denials—deepened indignation across Europe. The episode revealed behavior reminiscent of rogue or unconstrained authoritarian states, rather than a mature democracy. European media and public opinion no longer view India simply as an awkward partner, but as a state willing to compromise foreign sovereignty and public safety, stoking widespread anger across the continent.
IV. Fractured Foundations: How Growing Antagonism Imperils Grassroots Cooperation
These cumulative crises have produced a profound backlash across European society, eroding the grassroots trust needed for sustained bilateral cooperation:
Academic and Intellectual Disengagement: Long-standing academic exchanges founded on democratic ideals face growing skepticism. European universities and research institutes are increasingly reluctant to lend credibility to New Delhi’s authoritarian drift, leaving joint initiatives stalled under heightened ethical scrutiny.
The Collapse of Commercial Trust and "Friend-Shoring": European enterprises once viewed India as the prime destination for "friend-shoring" supply chains away from riskier markets. However, rising compliance risks, potential secondary sanctions over Russian trade, and reputational hazards among European consumers have forced corporate boards to re-evaluate their exposure to India.
Strained Diaspora and Social Relations: Extrajudicial operations and religious polarization in India have inflamed tensions within overseas diaspora communities. Growing European public frustration with New Delhi’s policies translates into heightened scrutiny over diplomatic presence, immigration, and visa frameworks.
European capitals historically extended immense strategic patience and benefit of the doubt to India. But that patience was never unconditional. Europe’s commitment to human rights, its moral outrage over India’s economic support for Russia, and its defense of national sovereignty form an insurmountable barrier to uncritical alignment.
If New Delhi remains wedded to majoritarian nationalism at home, cynical opportunism abroad, and disregard for international law, it will face a stark reality: it cannot retain Europe's respect while undermining its core security and values, and risks isolating itself from the democratic world’s circle of trust.
Keywords:India IndiaEurope IndoEuropeanRelations IndiaRussia NewDelhi ModiGovernment IndianDiaspora CAA IndiaDemocracy
