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.

Right-wing Rise in Austria: Threat for Europe? | DW English

Conservative politician Sebastian Kurz has won Austria's elections by espousing right-wing positions. What consequences will that have for Europe? Guests this time: Ulrike Herrmann (taz), Frank Hofmann (DW), Matthew Karnitschnig (Politico).

Fear, Anger and Hatred: The Rise of Germany's New Right

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: For years, a sense of disillusionment has been growing on the right. Now, the refugee crisis has magnified that frustration. Increasingly, people from the very center of society are identifying with the movement -- even as political debate coarsens and violence increases. By SPIEGEL Staff

Martin Bahrmann, a local politician in the Saxon town of Meissen, was just preparing to speak in a council debate on refugee shelters when a ball-point pen ricoched off the back of his head. It was a cheap, plastic writing utensil -- blue with white writing.

As a member of the business friendly Free Democrats (FDP), Bahrmann's seat in the regional council is at the very back and the visitors' gallery is just behind him. The pen must have come from somebody in the audience. When Bahrmann turned around, he found himself looking at a sea of hostile faces. Although there were around 80 visitors in the gallery, nobody admitted to having seen who threw the pen. On the contrary: The FDP representative and his colleagues were later insulted as being "traitors to the German people."

Bahrmann, 28, does not draw a salary for his involvement in local politics. It is merely his contribution to a functioning democracy. He was born and grew up in the region he represents and he has known many of the people there for many years. But even he, Bahrmann says, now must be more careful about when and where he makes political appearances. Ever since the regional council discussed transforming the former Hotel Weinböhla into a refugee hostel, the established political parties have been confronted with the hate of many locals. One Left Party representative was spit on as he was walking down the street while another was threatened with violence. Meanwhile, representatives from the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and the neo-Nazi NPD were celebrated for having voted against the refugees in the regional council.

The pen thrown in Meissen may not have garnered much media attention, but it says a lot about the public mood in Germany, a country in which increasing numbers of people are united against the state, its institutions and its elected officials. It is a country in which antipathy towards democracy is gradually increasing while xenophobia is growing rapidly. And it is a country where incidents of right-wing violence are on the rise and refugee hostels are set on fire almost daily. Read on and comment » | Spiegel Staff | Friday, December 11, 2015

Euroskeptic Union: Right-Wing Populists Forge EU Alliance

Geert Wilders, head of the Dutch Party for Freedom (PVV)

SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: Right-wing populists are trying to create a powerful faction in the European Parliament. Leading the efforts are Geert Wilders from the Netherlands and Marine le Pen of France -- and their initiative has big implications for Europe.

The press room in the Dutch parliament building in The Hague has been fully booked up for days for the scheduled meeting on Wednesday afternoon. The office responsible for handing out media accreditation already has a long waiting list. The meeting will be broadcast live on Dutch TV, and the whole world will also be able to watch online as right-wing populists Marine Le Pen, head of the Front National (FN) in France, and Geert Wilders, chairman of the Party for Freedom in the Netherlands, come together to talk.

The two politicians will savor the limelight. They want to finally be able to present themselves on the European stage as established representatives of the people. Wilders and Le Pen have a common cause that is not about national sensitivities, even though both see themselves as nationalists and do well as such in opinion polls at home. Rather, they have a common strategic goal in mind with regards to the European Union. » | Christina Hebel and Gregor Peter Schmitz | Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Verwandt »

Survivors of the Utoya [sic] Massacre Fear the Rise of Norway’s Right and the End of the Multicultural Society They Treasure

THE INDEPENDENT: The next generation of the Labour Party worry that the immigration debate may turn nasty

They survived Anders Breivik’s deadly attack against the party he blamed for the “Islamisation” of Norway, but the three young Labour politicians elected this month worry that the multicultural society they treasure could now be under threat from the incoming right-wing government.

Elections last week ousted the Labour Party after eight years in power, with the victorious Conservative Party now crafting a coalition government which will for the first time include the anti-immigration Progress Party, which won 16 per cent of the vote.

Progress Party politicians insist they are not xenophobic, but during election campaigning the deputy party leader presented a paper which proposed halving the immigrant population and dramatically slashing the number of asylum seekers in Norway.

“The Progress Party has been very clear that they want to challenge international law and human rights regarding immigration,” said Stine Renate Håheim, 29, who survived Breivik’s slaughter on Utoya [sic] Island two years ago by leaping into the cold fjord. “If the Progress Party is included in the government it will be the most right-wing government in Europe and that frightens at least me.” » | Charlotte McDonald-Gibson | Friday, September 13, 2013

Arianna Huffington: Beyond Left and Right
The co-founder of The Huffington Post on why the old concept of the political left and right marginalises issues.

Danish Police Search for 'Outsiders'
European Union Ministers are discussing new measures which could restrict people's movement across the continent. Much of the debate has been prompted by an influx of migrants from North Africa.

Brussels' Fear of the True Finns: Rise of Populist Parties Pushes Europe to the Right
SPIEGEL ONLINE INTERNATIONAL: The success of the True Finns in last week's Finnish elections has shocked Brussels. They are just one of a number of right-wing populist parties currently flourishing in Europe. Their rise could threaten the euro bailout. By SPIEGEL Staff.

Timo Soini, 48, is standing in front of "Hesburger," a fast food restaurant in the western part of Helsinki. It is shortly before 10 a.m., and he is waiting patiently for the restaurant to finally open its doors. Soini, the chairman of the right-wing populist Perussuomalaiset, or "True Finns" party, has been giving interviews for almost three hours. There are more than 250 new text messages on his mobile phone. Now he's hungry.

It is the morning after an election that brought what the papers have called a "revolution" to Finland. Almost one in five voters voted for Soini's party on Sunday, April 17, and now it looks like it is about to become part of the new government. A political earthquake is happening in Helsinki, one that could have reverberations throughout Europe.

Until now, the small country in the far northeastern corner of the continent was seen as a model member of the European Union. It was known for its successful export-oriented companies, liberal social policies and the best-performing school students in the Western industrialized world. It is ironic that it is here in Finland -- a part of Europe that always seemed eminently European -- that a movement is now coming to power that inveighs against immigrants and abortions, considers Brussels to be the "heart of darkness" and rejects all financial assistance for what it calls "wasteful countries," like Greece, Ireland and Portugal. "We were too soft on Europe," says Soini, adding that Finland should not be made to "pay for the mistakes of others."

The election result from Europe's far north has alarmed the political establishment in Brussels. If Soini's party becomes part of the new government, there will be more at stake than Helsinki's traditional pro-European stance. The entire program to rescue the euro could be in jeopardy, because it has to be approved unanimously by the entire European Union. That includes both the anticipated aid for Portugal, the additional billions for the euro bailout fund and the planned reform of the fund. Swedish Foreign Minister Carl Bildt calls the Finnish election results a "reason for concern," while Hans-Dietrich Genscher, the former head of Germany's pro-business Free Democratic Party (FDP) and former German foreign minister, warns: "The outcome of the elections is a warning sign." Gaining Ground Across the EU » | Spiegel Staff | Monday, April 25, 2011

Europe's Populists Build on Hostility to Brussels, Immigration and Islam
DEUTSCHE WELLE: Right-wing populist parties are on the rise across large swathes of Europe, as demonstrated in Finland this week. Bolstered by resentments over the EU, immigration and Islam, their leaders have seized the moment.

The success of the anti-immigration, euroskeptic True Finns in Sunday's elections may have proved a shock to Finland's political elite, but the signs were already there.

Populist right-wing parties across Europe have benefited from a growing resentment towards the European Union, Islam and immigration, meaning Timo Soini's True Finns are far from being alone.

Soini, whose party gained 39 seats in the 200-seat Finnish legislature, wants to reduce immigration and to oppose Finnish backing for EU bailout funds.

Across the Baltic, the like-minded Swedish Democrats garnered 5.7 percent of the vote in last September's vote, surpassing the 4 percent barrier and gaining parliamentary representation for the first time.

The party's success under young leader Jimmie Akesson meant the country's center-right and liberal coalition was forced to preside as a minority government. Despite having far-right roots, the Swedish Democrats have managed to adopt a more accessible, moderate image and have capitalized on growing resentment of immigration.

Over the border in Norway, the anti-immigrant Progress Party enjoyed its best-ever results in 2009, winning 23 percent of the vote. The party is seeking to widen its appeal by distancing itself from the more extremist views on immigration and focusing on more traditional left-right politics such as criticism of the welfare state.

Rounding out the Scandinavian countries, the Danish People's Party is building on what is now an established position within the country's parliament. It has been the third biggest party since 2001 and has garnered much support with its appeals against a perceived, creeping "Islamification" of Denmark. » | Author: Richard Connor (AFP, Reuters) | Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Hungary's National Election


WELT ONLINE: Rechtsruck: Die Auferstehung der Pfeilkreuzler in Ungarn >>> Von Rudolf Ungváry | Freitag, 09. April 2010

Organizers, Not University Cancelled Ann Coulter: University of Ottawa
THE VANCOUVER SUN: OTTAWA - In a brief statement Wednesday University of Ottawa President Allan Rock defended his institution and said that free expression is a core value of the school that bills itself as Canada's university.

"Freedom of expression is a core value that the University of Ottawa has always promoted. We have a long history of hosting contentious and controversial speakers on our campus. Last night was no exception, as people gathered here to listen to and debate Ann Coulter's opinions."

Rock's statement said organizers of the speech themselves decided at 7:50 p.m. Tuesday to cancel the event and informed the university's security services on site of their decision.

The statement said a crowd of about 1,000 people had "peacefully gathered at Marion Hall."

"I encourage our students faculty and other members of our community to maintain our university as an open forum for diverse opinions. Ours is a safe and democratic environment for the expression of views, and we will keep it that way," Rock, who is a former federal minister of Justice in the Jean Chrétien cabinet, said in the statement.

The university indicated it will make no further comment on the matter.

Ottawa police were also issuing statements about the Ann Coulter affair Wednesday

Ottawa police spokesperson Alain Boucher said the police did not shut down the event, but said a different venue was needed to hold the crowd of around 1,500 people.

"We strongly suggested that this venue was not large enough to accommodate all the people that had attended," he said. "We had safety concerns with the sheer number of people that were there...with different views on issues." >>> Matthew Pearson, The Ottawa Citizen | Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Ann Coulter Lambastes University of Ottawa and Canada's 'Free' Speech
THE VANCOUVER SUN: ‘It’s always the bush league schools,’ Coulter contends

Ann Coulter. Photograph: The Vancouver Sun
OTTAWA — After protesters at the University of Ottawa prevented Ann Coulter from giving a speech Tuesday night, the American conservative writer said it proved the point she came to make — free speech in Canada leaves much to be desired.

Then she said what she really thought of the student protesters who surrounded Marion Hall, making it to[o] unsafe, in the view of her bodyguard, for the pundit to attempt entry.

“The University of Ottawa is really easy to get into, isn’t it?” she said in an interview after the cancelled event. “I never get any trouble at the Ivy League schools. It’s always the bush-league schools.”

Coulter said she has been speaking regularly at university campuses for a decade. While she has certainly been heckled, she said this is the first time an engagement has been cancelled because of protesters.

“This has never, ever, ever happened before — even at the stupidest American university,” she said.

Coulter remarked on the reception she has had since entering the country.

“Since I’ve arrived in Canada, I’ve been denounced on the floor of Parliament — which, by the way, is on my bucket list — my posters have been banned, I’ve been accused of committing a crime in a speech that I have not yet given, I was banned by the student council, so welcome to Canada!” >>> Zev Singer and Kristy Nease, Ottawa Citizen | Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Gallery: Controversial Quotes from Right-wing U.S. Firebrand Ann Coulter
THE VANCOUVER SUN: Ultra-conservative commentator Ann Coulter, who speaks in Calgary today, is not known for being diplomatic. Check out some of the reasons why.

Check out the photos and the quotes >>>

Related:

Ann Coulter Prepares Human-rights Complaint >>> Steven Chase | Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Ann Coulter Prepares Human-rights Complaint
THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Right-wing firebrand Ann Coulter, who cancelled her speech to the University of Ottawa Tuesday night over fears for her safety, says she’s the victim of a hate crime under Canadian laws.

She said she’s hired Canadian conservative activist Ezra Levant to prepare a human-rights complaint that will test how equitably these hate-crime laws are applied.

In an interview with The Globe, Ms. Coulter suggested the University of Ottawa’s provost, Francois Houle, is partly responsible for the angry crowds that opposed her speaking Tuesday night. He is the official who warned her in advance to watch what she said lest she incur criminal charges for hate speech.

The tribunal should take her complaint seriously, she said, “because either Francois [Houle] has created a climate of hate against me based on my membership in an identifiable group – or the whole human rights commission is complete horseshit.” >>> Steven Chase | Wednesday, March 24, 2010

Watch video here

THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Coulter's shutout: Ann Coulter is a twit and a blowhard (note, I once appeared on the same radio show where she displayed and [sic] appalling ignorance of Canada and the Vietnam War). She lives to get press and have her infamy grow. That makes her money. Sadly, I am feeding that attention beast of hers today. >>> Tim Powers | Wednesday, March 24, 2010

THE GLOBE AND MAIL – Blog – Ottawa Notebook: Ann Coulter attacks gays and Muslims; 
Tories attack medical doctor >>> Jane Taber | Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Ann Coulter's Bony Ass Expelled From Ottawa


Ann Coulter Speech Cancelled After Thousands Protest At University of Ottawa

New SPLC Report: "Patriot" Groups, Militias Surge in Number in Past Year
SOUTHERN POVERTY LAW CENTER: MONTGOMERY, Ala. - The number of extremist groups in the United States exploded in 2009 as militias and other groups steeped in wild, antigovernment conspiracy theories exploited populist anger across the country and infiltrated the mainstream, according to a report issued today by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

Antigovernment "Patriot" groups - militias and other extremist organizations that see the federal government as their enemy - came roaring back to life over the past year after more than a decade out of the limelight.

The SPLC documented a 244 percent increase in the number of active Patriot groups in 2009. Their numbers grew from 149 groups in 2008 to 512 groups in 2009, an astonishing addition of 363 new groups in a single year. Militias - the paramilitary arm of the Patriot movement - were a major part of the increase, growing from 42 militias in 2008 to 127 in 2009. >>> | Tuesday, March 02, 2010

Rage on the Right

Right Turn
TIMES ONLINE: Hostility to immigration is bolstering the far Right across much of Europe

In Austria, they raise their arms in stiff salutes and roar approval of calls to kick out the foreigners. In Italy, they don black shirts, crop their hair and chant the name of their former dictator at football matches. In Germany, they rally outside mosques or foreigners' hostels to protest against what they describe as the “immigrant invasion” of Europe. More than 60 years after their grisly deaths, the names and symbols of Hitler and Mussolini are still being paraded on the streets. Is fascism making a return?

The test will come tomorrow when Austria goes to the polls. Heinz-Christian Strache, a protégé of Jörg Haider who overthrew him as leader of the far-right Freedom Party with even more hardline policies against foreigners and the European Union, is poised to win at least 20 per cent of the vote. Playing to the extremist sentiment still pervading a large proportion of the population, Mr Strache has replaced the demonisation of Jews last heard in Austria two generations ago with denunciations of a new threat: Muslims. “Homeland instead of Islam”, the slogans say. “Vienna must not become Istanbul”.

Islam and its symbols have also become the focus for the far Right in Germany and the Netherlands. Hundreds gathered in Cologne on Saturday in a rally to halt construction of one of Europe's biggest mosques. Far-right leaders from Belgium, Italy and Austria arrived to join calls to protect Western values and Christian traditions - calls that are being echoed by more and more mainstream politicians to curry popular support.

It is in Italy, however, that nostalgia for fascism has been most overt and where the echoes of the past have been most ominous. Mussolini's tomb has become a shrine for neo-Fascists, who chant his name at rallies and campaign to rehabilitate his ideology and architectural legacy. The Duce's granddaughter, Alessandra Mussolini, is a politician on the Right who makes much of her name and her determination to halt attempts by Alleanza Nationale, the post-fascist party now forming part of Silvio Berlusconi's coalition, to distance itself from its undemocratic past. Right Turn >>> | September 27, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback (US) Barnes & Noble >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Hardcover (US) Barnes & Noble >>>

The Rise of the Right across Europe
THE INDEPENDENT: Galvanised by the issues of Third World immigration and Islam, right-wing parties are a force to be reckoned with across much of Europe today. Several of them have succeeded in rebranding themselves as traditional conservatives rather than quasi-Fascist.

In Norway the anti-immigrant Progress Party is now the largest in the land. Like other right-wing parties in Scandinavia, it has enjoyed surging support since the Islamic cartoon affair two years ago. In Switzerland, Christoph Blocher's Swiss People's Party won the general election last year after a campaign condemned as racist by UN monitors. In Poland the League of Polish Families, a member of the coalition government until a year ago, campaigns for the elimination of Jewish influence in business and the professions. The Vlaams Belang in Belgium is strongly anti-immigrant. Even in ultra-liberal Denmark, the nationalist and anti-immigrant Danish People's Party is now the third largest party. In Italy, Silvio Berlusconi's Party of Freedom is sandwiched in the ruling coalition by the anti-immigrant Northern League and the post-Fascist National Alliance. [Source: THE INDEPENDENT] Peter Popham | September 26, 2008

The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Dust Jacket Hardcover, direct from the publishers (US) >>>
The Dawning of a New Dark Age – Paperback, direct from the publishers (US) >>>

Not a Question of Left, Not a Question of Right
There is a general feeling among many people that to be for the containment of Islam and against its rapid advance is to be extreme right wing.

In my opinion, this is not a question of right-wing or left-wing; rather, it's a question of common sense and a strong desire to maintain and strengthen our own civilization.

To allow Islam to grow apace in the West is tantamount to weakening our civilization, since Islam is our civilization's main competitor. It always has been, and always will be. To weaken one is to strengthen the other. Unashamedly, I am for strengthening ours. I make no apologies for that, since our civilization is based on Judeo-Christianity, and it has served us well. It has guaranteed far more and far better human rights, it has given us freedom of speech and freedom of expression, and a plethora of other freedoms which people in many other countries can only dream of. So, I re-iterate: It is not a matter of the politics of the left or the right; but it is a question of common sense and the will to survive!

What we need is good, solid, strong leadership: leadership by men of vision. Leadership by people who can see the problems ahead of us clearly, and leadership by people who can avert the disasters which may well befall us.

Unfortunately, today, the West is bereft of good, strong leadership. At the very time we need it, we don't have it. Would that society could throw up another Churchill or Roosevelt. Where would the West be today but for their sound leadership in times of crisis?

Today, wherever we look, leadership is flawed: In the US, we have President Bush - his leadership has been greatly weakened by his misguided attempt to bring democracy to Iraq. This is one experiment which is destined to fail, ultimately, since, as I have said many times before, Islam and democracy make strange bedfellows. In the one, all power rests with Allah and filters down; in the other, all power rests with the people, and filters up. It's difficult to square that circle! It seems quite fair to say that Bush's understanding of the main threat facing us - Islam - is wanting.

In the UK, we have a Prime Minister who is looking increasingly like a lame duck. He has spent eight years tinkering with the workings of government - unsuccessfully, it would seem to me - and has busied himself banning this, and banning that, and taking away people's freedoms into the bargain. Moreover, under his watch, we have a National Health Service which is in dire need of change, for it no longer functions as it should. Waiting lists to get treatment are long, and appear to be getting even longer. Our education system, too, is fouled up: educational standards no longer match up to the claims made for them. In addition, Tony Blair has sucked up to the Muslim community, and even wishes to introduce a bill which will stifle healthy debate about religion, fearing that healthy debate will offend the Muslim community! This man does not understand Islam - the main threat facing the Western world today!

In France, we have Chirac. Chirac is trying desperately to hold on to power at a time when his country is in crisis. A crisis caused largely by the Muslim community. Chirac, too, is a leader who shows no sign of understanding either Islam or how to deal effectively with its growth in France. Jacques Chirac lacks the courage and strength to take the necessary measures to deal with the crisis.

In Germany, we have Angela Merkel. She has come to power to boost the German economy, the engine of Europe. She has started badly, however, since she has had to appease the left in the 'grand coalition' by increasing taxes significantly in Germany to satisfy their demands, in return for being allowed to be the leader of the coalition. Increases in taxes in Germany make no sense, since the economy there is sluggish enough as it is. The increases in taxes which have been proposed will make the economy even more sluggish.

One thing, however, Angela Merkel has going for her: She wishes to put a stop to the ambitions of Turkey to accede to the EU, preferring instead to offer Turkey a privileged partnership. I fear she will have to gain in strength if she is to achieve the ambition of stopping Turkey, since there are many leaders in Europe, and in the USA, who seem very determined to get Turkey admitted and in so doing destroy Europe's heritage.

It has been said that Merkel has a strong potential ally in Nicolas Sarkozy, for he, too, is determined to keep Turkey out. Further, it is doubtful that the French themselves will be enamoured of the idea of allowing seventy odd million Muslims into Europe, especially after the mayhem that has been caused in France recently by their Muslim communities!

What we really need is someone to lead us to strength and victory. For, as Churchill was given to saying: without victory there is no survival! Our politically correct leaders today are far too mealy-mouthed to state such facts. They prefer to pander; for most of them live by the popularity polls! Doing what is popular is rarely the good option. As the Iron Lady used to say: I didn't come into politics to be popular; I came into it to do the right thing! Many leaders could learn a lesson from Mrs Thatcher! She led by her convictions, not by the popularity polls!

These days, it seems that we can only turn to royalty here in Europe if we wish to have some leadership! Our wonderful and gracious Queen Elizabeth II has affirmed her belief in the "uniqueness" of the Christian faith as a point of reference in the modern world. She said:

For Christians this pace of change represents an opportunity. When so much is in flux, when limitless amounts of information, much of it ephemeral, are instantly accessible on demand, there is a renewed hunger for that which endures.

In saying this, the Times said that she defied Al Qaeda. The Queen, it appears, is prepared to show solidity and courage in the face of evil.

Further, the Queen of Denmark is on record as saying:

We are being challenged by Islam these years - globally as well as locally. It is a challenge we have to take seriously. We have let this issue float about for too long because we are tolerant and lazy.

We have to show our opposition to Islam and we have to, at times, run the risk of having unflattering labels placed on us because there are some things for which we should display no tolerance.

And when we are tolerant, we must know whether it is because of convenience or conviction.

- Queen Margrethe of Denmark, from her recent biography.

President Bush has also shown some courage today on his trip to China, but has ruffled some feathers by holding Taiwan up as a rôle model for the Chinese! He pressed the Chinese authorities to allow more political and religious freedoms to the people of China. Isn't it strange that he can find the courage to challenge the Chinese on these matters, yet finds it so difficult to challenge the Saudis, and other Middle Eastern potentates to do the same? Does he not know how constrained the ordinary people of the Middle East are? Does he not know that they have no freedom to worship in the manner they wish, or not do so, as the case may be? Does he not know that people are tortured there for daring to defy the Islamic faith? Does he not know that people are beheaded in the public square for trivial reasons? Does he not know that churches may not be built, and that Christians are not free to worship in the Christian way, and are not even allowed to wear the crucifix around their necks? Does he not know that women are not free to drive, or free to go outside the home unaccompanied by male family members? Not even free to go into a café on a hot day to buy a cool drink? What kind of freedoms does the President call these? I wonder why he isn't lecturing there in the Middle East the same way as he is lecturing the Chinese?

You see, what we need is firm, strong leadership - leadership which is not hypocritical, and leadership which cares for the future of the free world, so that all peoples can live in peace, and freedom, and harmony. Not under the suppression of the growing influence of Islam!

©Mark Alexander

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