The far right is on the rise across Europe as a new generation of young, web-based supporters embrace hardline nationalist and anti-immigrant groups, a study has revealed ahead of a meeting of politicians and academics in Brussels to examine the phenomenon.
Research by the British thinktank Demos for the first time examines attitudes among supporters of the far right online. Using advertisements on Facebook group pages, they persuaded more than 10,000 followers of 14 parties and street organisations in 11 countries to fill in detailed questionnaires.
The study reveals a continent-wide spread of hardline nationalist sentiment among the young, mainly men. Deeply cynical about their own governments and the EU, their generalised fear about the future is focused on cultural identity, with immigration – particularly a perceived spread of Islamic influence – a concern.
"We're at a crossroads in European history," said Emine Bozkurt, a Dutch MEP who heads the anti-racism lobby at the European parliament. "In five years' time we will either see an increase in the forces of hatred and division in society, including ultra-nationalism, xenophobia, Islamophobia and antisemitism, or we will be able to fight this horrific tendency."
The report comes just over three months after Anders Breivik, a supporter of hard right groups, shot dead 69 people at youth camp near Oslo. While he was disowned by the parties, police examination of his contacts highlighted the Europe-wide online discussion of anti-immigrant and nationalist ideas.
Data in the study was mainly collected in July and August, before the worsening of the eurozone crisis. The report highlights the prevalence of anti-immigrant feeling, especially suspicion of Muslims. "As antisemitism was a unifying factor for far-right parties in the 1910s, 20s and 30s, Islamophobia has become the unifying factor in the early decades of the 21st century," said Thomas Klau from the European Council on Foreign Relations, who will speak at Monday's conference. Read on and comment » | Peter Walker and Matthew Taylor | Sunday, November 06, 2011
Europe's 'nationalist populists' and far right – interactive: Political groups and parties studied by researchers investigating a new wave of hardline nationalist and anti-immigrant sentiment » | Peter Walker and Paddy Allen | Sunday, November 06, 2011
THE SUNDAY TELEGRAPH: Far-Right groups in Europe 'on the rise': The eurozone crisis and immigration is fuelling the rise of the far-Right across Europe, according to a study by the Demos think-tank. » | Telegraph’s Foreign Staff | Sunday, November 06, 2011
TRIBUNE DE GENÈVE: L’extrême droite séduit de jeunes Européens grâce à la crainte de l’islamisme: ÉTUDE | Les thèses de l'extrême droite rencontrent un écho grandissant chez les jeunes hommes de moins de 30 ans, selon une étude par le centre de réflexion britannique Demos. » | ATS/AFP | lundi 07 novembre 2011
