The longstanding effort to keep extremist forces out of government in Europe is officially over.
For decades, political parties of all kinds joined forces to keep the hard-right far from the levers of power. Today, this strategy — known in France as a cordon sanitaire(or firewall) — is falling apart, as populist and nationalist parties grow in strength across the Continent.
Six EU countries — Italy, Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and the Czech Republic — have hard-right parties in government. In Sweden, the survival of the executive relies on a confidence and supply agreement with the nationalist Sweden Democrats, the second-largest force in parliament. In the Netherlands, the anti-Islamic firebrand Geert Wilders is on the verge of power, having sealed a historic dealto form the most right-wing government in recent Dutch history.
Meanwhile, hard-right parties are dominating the polls across much of Europe. In France, far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Rally is cruising at over 30 percent, far ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party, according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls. Across the Rhine, Alternative for Germany, a party under police surveillance for its extremist views, is polling second, head-to-head with the Social Democrats.
Please help us, how do we make it stop?
I don’t know, but I am scared for the future. It’s also worrying how popular far right is under the youth. I worry about my little kids growing up …
It’s looking bleak here, indeed. My Heimat is jerking off Wilders and here in Germany it’s the AfD, though luckily in BW they aren’t as popular as in other parts of Germany…
Still, not really sure what to do about it. I vote, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Don’t know how to explain to people why they should care about others. It’s a good thing I have enough books and games and series to offer escapism, because otherwise I’d probably need to get some prescription medication.
Your vote does matter.
Well, they win because they get votes, what is it that they’re unhappy with that they’re drawn to the potential leadership of these parties? I’d start with that. These are democracies, so these parties can’t gain power unless they offer the citizenry of their countries something they want.
That assumes a fair and level playing field and it really isn’t
How so? The parties they’re competing against are incumbents, and often, there are laws preventing them from campaigning. If anything they’re at a disadvantage policitally, and yet they’re winning. Obviously, what they’re offering is popular for some reason.
In my opinion these parties are often mentioning valid issues or things that could be improved in society, and people vote for that. The problem is these parties don’t really have solutions either, but that’s something that doesn’t show up until after the elections…
I think people have been waiting for solutions and they are reacting to those not being offered now, not in a potential future
Here is the actual answer:
Make housing affordable.
Ban housing as an investment and build far more social housing.
As long as countries succumb to the investors and make housing an investment this will only get worse.
The most important thing is to make sure the peoples basic needs are provided. If they do not have food, electricity, housing etc, they will get big mad at whomever is in charge right now.
Unfortunately that won’t solve the problem, I see some people that have already everything, but they are just afraid of others, don’t want to change their habits and don’t want to share.
I guess the only way to change this mind is to talk, exchange, mix, share
Most right winger groups grow big by blaming <problem> on immigrants.
In the case of the rising immigration hate, it’s the people blaming the housing prices on immigrants instead of cheap loans for investment bankers to snatch up all the properties with.
If the 20th century is to be believed, with unprecedented amounts of violence.
Can you undo too much immigration?
Maybe sending people like you back to level it out could work?
And then you guys ask yourselves why would anyone not vote in your favor.
Nice
Simple really - stop importing people from countries incompatible with western culture, like most muslim countries.
Most of the discourse is around anti Islamic immigration so the people might be somewhat discontent with that…
Holy fucking racism Batman
You asked a question and he replied by giving the only reason why people vote for the far right.
Also religion is not race.
Race and religion are absolutely just smoke and mirror scapegoats and panic-triggering red buttons, for the far-right.
People vote far right because of strongman propaganda (Great Leader will solve it all!!!), combined with feelings of anger, frustration and powerlessness.
Any country that keeps it’s people poor and/or let’s rich fucks get rich enough, will get a blooming field of far-right politicians, vying for the privilege of getting more power, to suck the rich people’s dicks better, and get richer themselves.
Also religion is not race.
It’s still discriminatory, though.
If the religion itself is discriminatory towards the tolerant, why should we be tolerant of them?
Nice. Generalizing an entire group of people to fit your narrative. Can you say the same about Christians? You sure can, but again, you’d sound stupid because you’re generalizing.
I don’t think you can… In majorly Christian and atheist nations in Europe, there isn’t much prejudice against women and people from the LGBT group, unlike in the middle East.
I’m no fan of any religion but some have clearly stopped in the middle ages.
Islamophobia is racism. The logic is subtle and inescapable. Read about it.
I am a person from an Arab and Muslim country. This logic is insane and downright dangerous. You don’t know what you are getting yourself into. Read about it.
I’m not “getting myself into” anything. I understand how logic works and what words mean. I read some words about how islamophobia is racism and they were logical. They were at least a hundred times more convincing than your comment. You are saying that the idea that islamophobia is racism is dangerous. That is an extremely bold claim. Would you like to explain that a little?
Just give in to the hate and give the fear mongers exactly what they want to make them stop must be the dumbest thing ever posted on Lemmy. Congrats!
fear mongers
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Islamic_terrorism#France (since the 80s nonetheless)
Also religion is not race.
That is semantics. It doesn’t change anything about the point they were making since both race and religion are protected from discrimination.
Truth does not equate to racism.
Sure, provided that the EU, pays reparations to the countries that it gouges the last 50 years, and provided that former colonial European countries, pay reparations to their former colonies.
What, no?
You can’t colonize Algeria and then complain about Algerians in France. You can’t import gastarbeiter and then complain about Turks in Germany. You can’t genocide the Kongo, Namibia, etc and then complain about Africans. You can’t keep West Africa in a perpetual chokehold with the franc and complain about the Senegalese.
Basically, you simply can not fundamentally alter the rest of the world to serve your interests and then pretend that you don’t have to change yourself.
The funny thing is that the European project as a supra national project is actually perfectly placed to overcome these old wounds by promoting peace and prosperity and encouraging regional integration outside Europe. The basic tenets of Europeanism are wildly successful at promoting peace and prosperity internally. The European experiment seems to have worked and Europe could very well foster similar projects around the world. Instead, they play the role of Vikings…
Sure, provided that the EU, pays reparations to the countries that it gouges the last 50 years, and provided that former colonial European countries, pay reparations to their former colonies.
Congratulations, you just succinctly demonstrated why Far-Right parties are rising. Turns out that many voters do not want to do either of those things.
Yup. So what is your take?
white ppl have some nerve whining about “importing people from countries incompatible with culture” considering their history of colonisation
There is no correlation between your area receiving immigration and people turning far right. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t, and sometimes they turn far right in some backwater town where no one wanted to move into anyway. Muslims are just a scapegoat that people too lazy to think about the root of their own problems are fast to attack.
Removed, racism.
People really don’t like hearing the truth here.
I mainly blame the influences of people like Joe head-kicked Rogan, Elmo, Benzo Kermit and the Russian troll farms.
It is happening in Belgium as well.
At least people are wising up, the extreme right party might be polling high, but the second right-wing party is doing better. I may not always agree with that party, but at least their leader isn’t a raging racist that thinks everything is woke, thinks trans shouldn’t exist and wants to split Belgium in 2 while simultaneously abandoning the EU.
My fucked up country is hopefully moving back to the centre next month. We still fucked all our lives up with Brexit though.
The irony of the UK having a normal government just when the EU pivots towards the right.
Do we still have good news? One? Two? None?
I should stop doomscrolling for today but my commute is taking ages again…
remember your abcs, kids
a…lways
b…e
c…punching nazis in the face
not news. propaganda
Politico.eu’s main mission seems to be “Stir up shit” these days
next month? It’s this week!
So, I’ve always wondered why the far right is unusually strong in France. I can explain its strength in America, rooted in our culture, history and geography. Parts of Eastern or Central Europe also don’t overly surprise me. I understand Italy.
But why France? What is it that makes Le Pen so strong there? I don’t understand what aspects of French history, culture or geography make this such a problem in what is otherwise a very western nation, with significant wealth and values ostensibly based in liberty and equality.
The french people are very proud of their culture and free spirit, so even hard opinions are articulated freely.
Additionally it appears they struggle with problems in the suburbs (banlieue); The public opinion in europe shifts to blame uncontrolled immigration it appears to me.
No Frenchman has ever apologized for being French
Because they have a strong culture of “I want what I want, and everyone else can get out of the way”. It’s easier to group together when that sentiment is “I want other people to get fucked” than “I want to help better my country and my fellow citizens”. Weren’t there something like three progressive parties in the last election that, instead of forming together to form some kind of coalition, decided to go all in on themselves and split the vote in such a way that they all got fucked?
Doesn’t help that they only seem to really go for what they want when they’ve already lost it, instead of fighting for the future before things actually get bad. Plus a feeling of “If we just have a massive generic protest, we’ll get what we want!” even though they seem to keep having to do it over and over and over, with limited long-term change.
From my pov it feels like everyone most people are either racist, or they dont give a fuck about politics
why France?
Islamic terrorism since the 80s.
One word: immigration.
Lots of places have immigration. What would make it more upsetting to the French than others?
Also, I don’t think pride alone is enough explanation. Pride in ones culture is also very common pretty much everywhere.
French culture has a long and bloody history specifically centered around getting rid of religious rule (read christianity), and implementing laws that essentially amount to freedom from religion. This is unlike a lot of other countries which focused on freedom of religion.
When large muslim communities form, this often leads to the imposition of their religious expressions upon others. This specifically clashes with French culture, where religion is a private matter, for private spaces. Hence why many french react strongly when muslims complain about how the very laws they relied on to rid themselves of the yoke of Christianity is somehow specifically discriminatory against them.
No, it’s not discriminatory against islam or muslims in particular. It’s a defence mechanism against the imposition of regressive, anti-humanist values on the general population by organized religion.
Maybe human beings are just humans beings. You don’t have to go back to what some writer 400 years ago to put racism in context.
I like a little deeper explanation of my whys. Racism is pretty well understood, but it is not present equally everywhere. That said, 400 year old writings are probably not necessary.
but it is not present equally everywhere.
The French are basically as racist as everyone else so not really seeing what is so mystifing about this.
If you think everyone everywhere is racist you just need to travel more. Regardless, the far right is stronger in France than it is just across the channel in Britain, based on voting. Why might that be?
Hmm pretty sure I have been to Germany, Canada, and Thailand within the past 8 months or so. Let me check my passport that is running out of pages for stamps. Yeah seems like I have. In fact it seems like I have traveled abroad quite a few times to quite a few countries for multiple years.
Damn. The Middle East, Latin America, over 40 states, multiple provinces of Canada. I do seem to get around.
Sorry you were lecturing me on your worldly travels. Do continue.
Ah, yes, the Big Immigration, like public access radio and television, critical investigative journalism, social sciences, free elections, independent research, public health care and schools, social democracy, and the environment. I keep forgetting that the reason they are against all this is because it is immigrants that run all of them.
That sounds like an American reply, I can’t relate… I live in a first world country.
I don’t know what is more pathetic, that you know so little about european politics that you thing that, or that you are canadian… and what? Pretending to be european?
You have problems. I hope you figure things out. Have a nice day and don’t bother replying because I’m blocking you.
This is the best summary I could come up with:
For decades, political parties of all kinds joined forces to keep the hard-right far from the levers of power.
Today, this strategy — known in France as a cordon sanitaire (or firewall) — is falling apart, as populist and nationalist parties grow in strength across the Continent.
Six EU countries — Italy, Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and the Czech Republic — have hard-right parties in government.
In the Netherlands, the anti-Islamic firebrand Geert Wilders is on the verge of power, having sealed a historic deal to form the most right-wing government in recent Dutch history.
Across the Rhine, Alternative for Germany, a party under police surveillance for its extremist views, is polling second, head-to-head with the Social Democrats.
As we approach next month’s European Parliament election, these parties may use their momentum to form a powerful political bloc — if they can maintain their unity.
The original article contains 353 words, the summary contains 145 words. Saved 59%. I’m a bot and I’m open source!
Denmark has them all beat…far right have been in coalition for so long and all you hear on the news is immigrants this and that. It’s all planned. Those who control the media, control the votes. Most people are dumb, low IQ. The question is what is it that they’re steering the populace towards?
Are you aware of how IQ works?
not news
I think more bureaucracy, more european funds giving money to their friends, more surveillance and more prohibitions should do the job.
If you want change, start by removing prohibitions, give back freedom of decision how people can live and die, start lowering cost of living by repairing existing infrastructure instead of only destroying it, start destroying monopolies, start promoting small businesses, stop all socialism, start respecting all people and their believes instead of promoting only one single source of truth - we are different, protect native culture, promote traditional family that is roots of europe. Stop promoting and spedning money only on new things and stop taking care of only of yourself.
But what I know. I’m nobody and the best I can hear is I’m under russian influence, I’m racist and I am underman because I dared to think by myself.
Ok, let’s see how your proposals are faring in the contemporary laboratory of the far right.
If you want change, start by removing prohibitions
Italy moves to ban lab-grown meat
give back freedom of decision how people can live and die
Italy’s LGBTQ+ community decries government’s attacks on same-sex parental rights
start lowering cost of living
Cost of living in Italy to rise again from September
And so on. Looks like the only things she’s delivering is fucking over anyone who looks or lives differently. Keep deluding yourself thinking that screwing over others will solve your problems. You’ll have time to relish in your triumph when Europe becomes a shithole and you realize that, after having removed the undesirables, your life is still shit.
I… What?
If I were to plot all of your positions on the political compass, would that draw Rick Astley…?
Because of people like you Europe will die, because people are divided on those who are allowed to speak and who can’t speak freely about what they feel because they’re scared they would be laughted from and marginalized or more likely canceled - just like you did laughted my comment.
Hmmm nooo, I have no problem with you speaking, I’m just pointing out that what you speak makes no sense. That’s just free speech :)
Well I fell the same about your text. Maybe that’s what people are, they write without sense and read without sense.
Stop socialism, but also stop taking care of only yourself!
So don’t be socialist, but also be socialist.
And you wonder why people say you don’t make any sense.
Because there is a difference between socialsim and national socialism that is growing. Those people who allow national socialism to grow are mostly media. I believe that most of people who support national socialism are manipulated because of misunderstanding what socialism and what nationalism is so they say hey you’re wearing my country symbols I like you. But they should say hey you’re wearing my country symbols and you’re socialist so get out of my country you nazi scumbag.
Media today tend to simplify and put equal sign between nationalism and nazism (national socialism) and as a result they allow national socialism to grow instead of nationalism and patriotism to grow and strength the difference between nations but losen the difference between people.
So if you know who you are and where you belong to and you meet people different to you, you don’t feel bad but respect both other people and yourself because you know where you’re standing.
And that changed in media to become - everyone is equal (no we’re not), everyone is capable to do anything (no we’re not). They removed work as a way for success and replaced it with being popular and fancy so everyone right now want to be popular not working.
People forgot who they are, we are bombarded that we are citizens of the world, yet we still live as part of certain nation, certain country and certain land and we should start identify with it or we lose our identity and everything will become haos like you decribe it it doesn’t make any sense to you because you’re bombarded with messages that you belong to the world not bounded by anything.
How about pushing for more immigration, I’m sure that will help the left in the polls?
