The #MeToo movement is one of the most powerful moments in modern history, as thousands of victims of sexual assault bravely came out and denounced their abusers to the world. Although news coverage of the movement may have dropped recently, its impact and significance have not lessened.

In many European countries, survivors have met a harsher, more cynical reception. Although the United States has had its fair dose of (usually old, white, male) skeptics, Western European countries—notably France, Germany, and Italy—have a much more active population of doubters.

Since the beginning of 2018, these skeptics have become a lot more vocal as the original shock of the magnitude of the movement dissipated. What allows such an opinion to be taken seriously in these countries? Maybe they see the numerous women at the helm of the “opposition” as confirmation of the validity of their arguments.

Now, before we take a closer look at these women, let’s see what these “non-believers” use as an argument. The most recurring terms we find are references to a “witch hunt” or an “execution by the media,” as well as the importance of “the freedom to pester,” supposedly indispensable for sexual freedom.

They blame the media for immediately taking the side of the victims and grilling “without proof” the “alleged” abusers, barely giving them the chance to respond to the allegations. They also denounce the destruction of a prominent person’s career and legacy because of a tweet.

And then, they bring up tradition and way of life. They argue that an unwarranted caress is at worst, “clumsy flirting.” They worry that the movement will make men afraid of flirting with women. Although the largely progressive readership of publications such as The Argus might find this to be the opposite of common sense, many Western Europeans struggle to define a line between flirting, harassment, and assault.

I will explain this culture clash using what sounds like stereotypes, but don’t freak out just yet. Anglo-Saxons are traditionally more conservative and prude. The French, German and Italian are more libertine, bon vivant. Again, this sounds like stereotype and overgeneralization. But simply look at differences in censorship between these countries. Fifty Shades of Grey, rated R in the United-States, was rated 18 and up in the UK, 16 and up in Germany, 14 and up in Italy, and 12 and up in France.

This is just one example, but it shows the different legacy sexual taboo left in these countries. Of course, it doesn’t excuse the behavior, but it explains in part why countries react differently to this movement. Because, as mentioned previously, France, Germany, and Italy are really where the “opposition” is strongest.

The UK has been pretty responsive to public outcry. There is an indisputable attempt by the governments of these countries to make concrete change in the wake of the movement. The issues of consent and sexual abuse will be brought up as early as elementary schools in the UK, and Meghan Markle uses her constant spotlight to talk about female empowerment instead of her wedding. The rest of Europe is more reluctant to act.

In France, Germany, and Italy, the movement is failing. No law has been passed, and public outcry against the victims is gaining momentum at a dangerous rate, led by a scary amount of women. Let’s look at each of these countries individually.

In Germany, the initial October movement never really took off until the end of January, when one of the country’s most prominent directors was accused of sexual assault. This delayed reaction was the first sign of the difficulty the movement was to encounter there. After the allegations against Dieter Wedel came out, the movement gained a small surge of support, but not many more prominent people were denounced after him. In fact, it prompted many women to come out against the movement, notably Hanna Schygulla, who claims the movement reinforces a problem Germany faces today: “These days […] people are touching each other less.”

In Italy, the problem is very much related to the issue of tradition. In general, the public has been unsupportive of the victims, often attacking them more than the alleged abusers. Feminists argue the root for this is the country’s history of Catholic education and the thought that it is always the “female who provokes, and so boys will be boys.” Moreover, because prostitution is legalized in the country many people tend to believe that an actress trading her body for a part is a fair deal and that they are hypocrites to complain about it years later. All these ideas are supported not only by a majority of men, but resound strongly with Italian women as well.

Lastly, France may have the most saddening case. Indeed, the country seemed one of the strongest proponents of denouncing abusers publicly, even coining a stronger hashtag than #Metoo: #BalanceTonPorc (literally: #DenounceYourPig). The public, militant groups and many politicians were very outspoken about the benefits of such a trend. Two things happened. 100 important women wrote a public letter denouncing the movement, and the minister of public action and accounts, Gérald Darmanin, was accused on January 27 of sexually abusing someone. Catherine Deneuve, most famous for her role in“The Umbrellas of Cherbourg” (1964), led the group of 100 prominent in the French arts and society in denouncing the movement for going too far, claiming that “the sexual urge is by its nature wild and aggressive.” She goes on to explain that catcalling is a form of female empowerment. Next, the problem surrounding the allegations of Darmanin is that the Macron government supported his claim of innocence, dealing a major blow to victims of assault too scared to speak out against their abusers for fear of being called a liar. Eventually, the case against Darmanin was closed in favor of the politician, and the victim is seeking to appeal the decision.

So although the United States is far from having done enough regarding sexual assault, it is at least ahead of Western Europe when it comes to establishing what constitutes abuse. Yes, Western Europe is historically more sexually liberated than the United States, but because of this, many people believe that this sexual freedom gives men authority over others’ bodies. There is definitely a need to educate young people in Europe in a way that makes sure women know that they aren’t at fault for speaking out and that clear and enforced boundaries are established for men. People like Deneuve, who once asked mothers to teach their daughters not to confuse rape and “clumsy flirting,” took a step backward. Across the Atlantic, it is disappointing to find that tradition is appearing to take precedence over progress.

Elia Kruger is a member of the class of 2021 and can be reached at ekruger@wesleyan.edu.