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Europe’s rapidly rising right: Hard-right forces are gaining ground ahead of next month’s European Parliament election (www.politico.eu)

submitted 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago) by MicroWave@lemmy.world to c/world@lemmy.world

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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.

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[-] Thorry84@feddit.nl 49 points 5 months ago

Please help us, how do we make it stop?

[-] Maestro@fedia.io 31 points 5 months ago

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 ...

[-] wide_eyed_stupid@lemmy.world 13 points 5 months ago

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.

[-] freebee@sh.itjust.works 4 points 5 months ago

Your vote does matter.

[-] mister_monster@monero.town 5 points 5 months ago

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.

[-] Thorry84@feddit.nl 8 points 5 months ago

That assumes a fair and level playing field and it really isn't

[-] mister_monster@monero.town 3 points 5 months ago

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.

[-] targetx@programming.dev 12 points 5 months ago

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...

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[-] Linkerbaan@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago* (last edited 5 months ago)

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.

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[-] Honytawk@lemmy.zip 20 points 5 months ago

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.

[-] ChuckEffingNorris@lemmy.ml 4 points 5 months ago

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.

[-] Obonga@feddit.de 19 points 5 months ago

Do we still have good news? One? Two? None?

I should stop doomscrolling for today but my commute is taking ages again...

[-] cupcakezealot@lemmy.blahaj.zone 7 points 5 months ago

remember your abcs, kids

a...lways

b.....e

c.....punching nazis in the face

[-] KISSmyOSFeddit@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

next month? It's this week!

[-] mycathas9lives@lemmy.world 6 points 5 months ago

not news. propaganda

[-] Hugh_Jeggs@lemm.ee 8 points 5 months ago

Politico.eu's main mission seems to be "Stir up shit" these days

[-] Carrolade@lemmy.world 5 points 5 months ago

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.

[-] mryessir@lemmy.sdf.org 8 points 5 months ago

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.

[-] afraid_of_zombies@lemmy.world 3 points 5 months ago

No Frenchman has ever apologized for being French

[-] seliaste@lemmy.blahaj.zone 1 points 5 months ago

From my pov it feels like everyone most people are either racist, or they dont give a fuck about politics

[-] Zorque@lemmy.world 1 points 5 months ago

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.

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[-] autotldr@lemmings.world 3 points 5 months ago

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!

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this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2024

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