The Big Players In Europe’s Political Far Right
EDL, BNP, UKIP, all worryingly familiar names in British politics nowadays. Due to economic changes and social issues at home and abroad the far right in Britain and Europe at large is having a frightening resurgence. ISIS beheadings and Pakistani paedophile rings in the north of England have cemented racist party lines.
I’ve got no problem with people being “proud” of their country, I don’t personally understand it, but I can sort of get why people might be proud of where they live. The problem really comes when people aren’t prepared to share their home with people of other nationalities. Or, as is becoming more prevalent, are actively being violent and abusive towards people of other faiths and colours.
Us Europeans must try and remember that we took over the vast majority of the world at one point so it would be a bit rich to expect everyone to leave our countries now that we’ve finally given them back theirs. Populations have always moved across the world. Humans like to think they own the planet, but they don’t they’re just visiting.
So I thought I’d put together a short list of some of the most vocal, modern right-wing parties in Europe and some quotes from eminent members. My aim I suppose is to show the parties’ true colours. I know for a fact that many UKIP voters, for instance, weren’t really aware of the connotations of their votes. These modern right-wing parties nearly all shy away from being called fascists and racists but people need to know who they are voting into power. And also, that this is no small problem Europe is facing.
France – Front National
Founded in 1972 Front National are still going strong with 70,000 members. The party’s founder Jean-Marie Le Pen has been succeeded by his daughter Marine Le Pen who has made it her job to “clean up” FN’s image. She’s done a rubbish job.
The National Front received 4,712,461 votes in the 2014 European Parliament election, finishing first with 24.86% of the vote and 24 of France’s 74 seats. Scary.
Quote from Jean-Marie Le Pen:
I’m not saying that the gas chambers didn’t exist. I couldn’t see them myself.
Anne-Sophie Leclere, the FN candidate for Rethel in the northeastern Ardennes region got herself in hot water when she compared French Justice Minister, Christiane Taubira (pictured above) to a monkey. She’d posted a picture of a monkey with the text “at 18 months” and then a picture of Taubira with “now” written underneath. The less than sparkling Leclere defended her actions…
(it has) nothing to do with racism… a monkey remains an animal while a black is a human… To be honest, I’d rather see her in the branches of a tree than in the government. Quite frankly, she’s a savage when she arrives with a devilish grin. But it’s not racist
– errr… yes it is. The monkey episode didn’t do Marine Le Pen’s gang any favours, but she’s no angel herself. Earlier this year she compared Muslims praying in the streets to the Nazi occupation. That’s a bit over the top don’t you think? Here’s another of Le Pen the junior’s quote…
Tolerance? What does that mean? I am a very tolerant and hospitable person, like you. Would you accept 12 illegal immigrants moving into your flat? You would not! On top of that, they start to remove the wallpaper! Some of them would steal your wallet and brutalise your wife. You would not accept that! Consequently, we are hospitable, but we decide with whom we want to be.
Germany – National Democratic Party
Founded in 1964 the NDP are lead by Udo Pastörs (above). Of the right wing parties in Europe these guys are less popular but more brazen in their racism. The NDP have been described as “the most significant neo-Nazi party to emerge after 1945″. They parade under banners with slogans like “Money for granny instead of Sinti and Roma” and “the boat is full”.
They haven’t yet crossed the 5% voting threshold to get representation in the Bundestag, thankfully.
In a speech on February 25, 2009, Pastörs referred to Germany as a “Jew republic,” to Turkish-German men as “semen cannons,” and to Alan Greenspan as a “hook-nose.” A local court found him guilty of “incitement of popular hatred” in May 2010, sentencing him to a suspended sentence of ten months and a €6,000 fine.
Continued…
