How Trump’s Presidency Is Fueling Right-Wing Nationalist & Anti-Immigration Movements Across Europe

In Austria, conservative leader Sebastian Kurz has been tasked with forming a government after he won a slim majority in the snap elections earlier this month. His conservative party, which campaigned on an anti-immigration platform, is now weighing whether to form a coalition with Austria’s far-right populist Freedom Party, which won 26 percent of the vote in the Austrian elections. The Freedom Party was founded by former Nazis six decades ago. This comes as hate crimes in Britain hit a record high and anti-immigrant nationalist movements are surging across Europe. For more, we speak with Dominic Thomas, professor at UCLA who specializes in European politics. Thomas is chair of the Department of French and Francophone Studies.

Netherlands: Violence Erupts at Mass Anti-immigration Demo over Refugee Centre

Anti-immigration protesters hurled fireworks and missiles at riot police during a far-right rally against the planned opening of a refugee centre in the Dutch town of Heesch, Monday.

After police attempted to disperse an estimated 1000 protesters who had marched on the local town hall, violence erupted, with anti-immigration demonstrators letting off flares and fireworks, targetting law enforcement. Police have yet to release the number of those arrested and injured.

The protest was organised after town officials called a meeting on Monday over plans to accommodate some 500 refugees in the town, spread out over next ten years. The rally also followed a statement by populist far-right politician Geert Wilders of the Freedom Party (PVV) called for all Muslim male refugees to be locked up in asylum centres. Wilders has been sued several times for inciting racial hatred.

Sweden's Anti-immigration Party Now in First Place. Why?

Italy Anti-immigration Rally Draws Thousands in Rome

Mr Salvini described the government's immigration
policies as "a disaster"

BBC AMERICA: Thousands of supporters of Italy's Northern League have poured into one of Rome's biggest squares for a rally against immigration, the EU and Prime Minister Matteo Renzi's government.

League leader Matteo Salvini accused Mr Renzi of substituting the country's interests to those of the EU.

He also criticised the government's record in dealing with Romanian truck drivers, tax, banks and big business. » | Saturday, February 28, 2015

Inside Story: Race Riots: A Wake-up Call for Russia?

As ethnic violence returns to Moscow, we examine the root causes of the nation’s rising anti-immigration sentiment

Norway Anti-Immigration Opposition Party Wins Support
BLOOMBERG: Support for Norway’s Progress Party rose this month, with one pollster ranking it the country’s biggest political group, as voters backed its anti-immigration stance less than six months before parliamentary elections.

While governments in other parts of Europe lose support as voters condemn their handling of the financial crisis, Norway’s Labor government is struggling in polls after it tried to push through laws banning blasphemy and allowing police women to wear the hijab. The laws were withdrawn after a public outcry. Justice Minister Knut Storberget, whose ministry issued the proposals, has since gone on sick leave.

“People are losing their jobs, the economy seems to be going into recession but people are focusing on these issues instead,” said Torkel Brekke, professor of culture studies and oriental languages at the University of Oslo. “It tells you how important issues of identity are to small European countries and how people feel insecure about immigration.” >>> By Marianne Stigset and Meera Bhatia | Friday, March 27, 2009