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.
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.
One word: immigration.
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.
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.
Please help us, how do we make it stop?
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.
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
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.
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.
How about pushing for more immigration, I’m sure that will help the left in the polls?
