Right On The Rise Across Europe

by Julio Godoy

A new survey in France indicates that more than a fifth of voters support the rightist Front National (FN) led by Jean-Marie Le Pen.

The survey carried out by the Paris-based institute of political analysis TNS-Sofres for the newspaper Le Monde showed 22 percent support for Le Pen's program for massive expulsion of immigrants, especially of Muslims, of bringing back the death penalty, and defense of "traditional values."

The survey confirms the FN as the third major party after the right-wing Union for a Popular Movement of President Jacques Chirac, and the Socialist party.

Coming shortly before local elections in 22 regions next March, the survey suggests that the FN has good chances to win at least three regions. The regions are administrative units that take on autonomous roles such as economic planning, environmental protection, and promotion of local economy..

The opinion polls suggest that Le Pen could win the election in the important south-eastern region Provence-Alpes-C- te-d'Azur with some 20 million voters.

The FN also appears to be a favorite in the north-eastern region Alsace, a traditional right-wing extremist stronghold at the border with Germany and Switzerland. Le Pen's party could also win the first round in Ile de France around Paris.

The survey says 30 percent of voters would find a FN candidate acceptable for presidency of a French region.

The results confirm that the relative success of Le Pen in the presidential election in 2002 was not a freak event. Le Pen took second place with 17 percent of the vote in the first round and eliminated Socialist candidate Lionel Jospin from the run-off.

Le Pen again won 17 percent of the vote in the second round but a big majority saw Chirac through.

Le Pen, 75, is a former military officer. He has been in politics since the 1950s. His party appeared in the 1970s, and reached notoriety for its racist positions and then for its victories in regional elections, especially in Alsace in the 1980s.

The survey shows that support for Le Pen and the FN has risen steadily since 1999, especially among the youth.

The success of neo-fascist political parties is not a French phenomenon. Right-wing extremists have risen to public office in Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Denmark, and Portugal.

The two Swiss parliamentary chambers confirmed the election of right-wing nationalist Christoph Blocher to the Federal Council Dec. 10. The seven- member council rules the country.

Blocher, a 63-year old businessman, pledged during his campaign to fight immigration and crime. His party, the Centrist Democratic Union (UDC) won 27.7 percent of the vote in the parliamentary elections Oct. 19.

"Nationalism, fear of change and hatred of foreigners are the ingredients of this populism," the newspaper Courier International said in a report titled 'Xenophobe populists have launched the conquest of Europe.'

The paper published a map of Europe in which only Sweden, Finland, Germany, Ireland, Britain, and Spain appear free of significant neo-fascist influence.

In Italy, Austria and Denmark, openly racist politicians are or have been members of ruling coalitions.

In Portugal a small party campaigning against immigrants and drug addicts holds the right-wing government in place. Minister for defense Paulo Portas has become a rising political star for his campaign against drug addicts, immigrants, and criminality.

In Italy the leader of the neo-fascist Northern League, Umberto Bossi, is minister for reform. In Denmark the conservative government has passed tough laws against immigration under pressure from right-wing leader Pia Kjaersgaard from the Party of the Danish People.

In Austria the neo-fascist Popular Party of Jorg Haider, who has repeatedly expressed admiration for Nazi leader Adolph Hitler, is member of the ruling coalition.

In Norway, the Netherlands and Belgium, neo-fascist politicians have become influential figures in political debate.

In Belgium the overtly racist Vlaams Blok (The Flemish Block) is looking for an alliance with established politicians for regional and European elections in June next year.

"If the Flemish Block presents interesting political proposals, why should we reject them on principle," says Yves Leterme, leader of the Flemish Christian Democratic Party (CD&V, after its Flemish name).

Others have said they will not respect the Charter for Democracy, a document produced in 2000 to ban political coalitions with the Flemish Block.

The Liberal Party too has announced that it will follow a "policy of exemplary firmness against foreigners."

Laurent Arnauts, commentator with the Belgium daily Le Journal de Mardi says, "This readiness of politicians to co-opt the repulsive Flemish Block program shows that it is contaminating the whole of society."

In the Netherlands several leaders have emerged as heirs to the assassinated right-wing extremist leader Pym Fortuyn. The Nieuw Rechts (New Right Party) openly calls for a fight against Islam, and in defense of "national identity."

Led by former members of Fortuyn's Leefbar Nederland party, the new right is building relations with other European neo-fascist parties such as the Northern League in Italy and the Vlaams Blok in Belgium.