It’s to be expected that the Left will try to paint anyone expressing concern over the islamization of Europe to be ‘Far-Right’. Actually the movement extends over party lines, with the Dutch PVV of Geert Wilders hailing from the traditional progressive Left, and the Vlaams Belang owing it’s political pedigree to traditional Right-Wing limited government conservatism. What binds them altogether are their justifiable concerns over the evaporation of the West’s civil liberties and the future function and viability of their states.
Europe’s traditional mainstream parties on the Left and less left (faux conservatives) are actually contending with off-shoots of their own parties. Take for example the True Finns, (as well as the Sweden Democrats) while they host many traditional conservative values, their party platform leans to the Left, they are for the continuance of the welfare state, and hold mass immigration as one of the main reasons for its present failure to take care of all its citizens.
It’s difficult for many to mull these issues over thoughtfully and carefully without resorting to ‘knee-jerk’ assumptions due to faulty reporting and biases. The Guardian stays true to form, labeling anyone or party who rejects to mass immigration and Islamization as ‘Far-Right’, or in other words Fascist or ..Nazi. It’s basically an uneducated way at looking at anything you either can’t understand, or disagree with. KGS
Immigration: Far-right fringe exploits European coalitions
A Roma family leaves a camp in northern France. Far-right groups across Europe are nurturing an anti-immigrant backlash.
Europe’s mainstream political parties are engaged in a worsening feud over how to deal with the growing power of extreme rightwing anti-immigrant movements. Amid a backlash against immigration that has shaken Germany, France, the Netherlands, and Sweden in recent months, governments of the centre-right or centre-left appear at a loss to counter the appeal of extremist populists who have moved from the madcap fringes of national politics into government, or propping up minority centrist coalitions.
A liberals-led coalition has just taken office in the Netherlands dependent on the parliamentary support of Geert Wilders, Europe’s leading Islam-baiter. In Denmark, another liberals-led government also relies on the anti-immigrant nationalists of the Danish People’s Party for survival. Last week, the DPP won a tightening of the most draconian immigration laws in Europe in return for agreeing to the government’s budget for next year.
Alarmed at the growing appeal of the far right, leaders of the centre-right and centre-left are struggling to form a coherent response. Attempts to construct a cross-party European anti-extremism pact are falling victim to the expediencies of national politics. “This is becoming a very hot political issue,” said a spokesman for the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe, a large grouping in the European parliament.
Last week Wilfried Martens, a former Belgian prime minister who leads the European People’s party which groups ruling Christian democrats in most of the EU, made approaches to social democrat and liberal leaders with the aim of forging a joint anti-extremist position.
“Martens wants a common approach of the political parties,” said his spokesman, Kostas Sasmatzoglou. “The phenomenon is growing and these far-right parties are getting stronger and stronger. We all face the same issue, but we should not be trying to score political points.”
