The rise of Europe's extreme right

OneWorld.net ^ | 10 May 2004 | Nick Ryan

[MegaSilver]

It was autumn 1996. Four men were sitting around me in a central London pub. Little distinguished them from the passing commuters. Other than their baseball caps, jailbird tattoos, or talk of white revolution, they might have been just about anyone.

Those four men were the leaders of a notorious neo-nazi gang called Combat 18 - the 1 and 8 in the name signify the position of “A” and “H” ("Adolf Hitler") in the alphabet.

The gang was connected to Loyalist paramilitaries in Northern Ireland, a violent “white power” music scene, numerous football hooligan “firms”, and the British National Party (BNP) - the most prominent far-right political movement in modern Britain.

The gang may have crumbled into internecine strife and murder during the 15 months of our encounters - which formed the introduction to my book Homeland - and its dream of an Aryan Homeland in the wilds of Essex was perhaps laughable. But the far Right itself and the tensions which feed it are no longer a joke.

Coming of age

Last month the BNP leader Nick Griffin welcomed the French far-right politician Jean-Marie Le Pen to the UK. It was a sort of “coming of age” ceremony for Griffin and the BNP - recognition that they might be on the verge of an electoral breakthrough at forthcoming local, European and London elections this June.

Le Pen had recently travelled from his native France where, despite lacking representation at national level, around one in six voters recently supported his Front National (FN) party in regional elections.

In 2002 this notorious godfather of the Right – to whom almost all other far-right parties have paid homage at one time or another – took nearly 20 percent of the vote (over 5.5 million people) and beat Socialist prime minister Lionel Jospin into second place.

Le Pen’s Front National has links to other extremist and ultra-nationalist parties across Europe. Even where such links are more tenuous, the FN has often had an influence.

If you look at fledgling movements such as the BNP, you will see imitations of the FN’s web strategies, its media monitoring units, “influence circles”, even down to taking the same name for its annual festival.

Shifting perceptions

Yet despite its political rise, the popular perception of the extreme Right remains latched onto the Combat 18 stereotype.

Perhaps it is comforting to believe that xenophobes and violent racists represent a tiny minority of our populations; that they are not like “us” – rather, that they inhabit some shadowy world from which they lurch every so often into the pages of tabloid newspapers.

Too often I have seen even respected commentators write off the rise of the Right as a mere protest movement. Yet I would argue that the rise of the extreme Right represents the flipside to Al-Qaeda, both physically and metaphorically. As fundamentalism rises in the East, so our own zealots grow here in the West.

Aside from the FN and BNP, there are now prominent extreme Right and anti-immigrant parties across Europe today: in Belgium (the Vlaams Blok); in Norway (Progress Party); Denmark (Danish Peoples Party); in Germany (the Republicans, the German Peoples Union and the skinhead National Democratic Party, plus a dangerous alliance of “comradeship” groups); in Austria (Jörg Haider’s Freedom Party); in the Netherlands (Pim Fortuyn List); in Switzerland (Swiss Peoples Party); in Portugal (Popular Party); and in Italy (Northern League, and the National Alliance).

But perhaps perceptions are shifting. Mainstream politics and public opinion are affected by fears – some would say hysteria – over immigration, asylum, terrorism and Islam. These phrases are often used interchangeably on the street and in casual conversation.

Immigration and terrorism regularly feature among the top voter concerns in rich Western Europe. Demonisation of the “other” is commonplace.

There are widely held beliefs – from the bars of Flanders to the alpine chalets of Bavaria – that someone else must to blame for the breakdown of traditional communities; for the lack of certainty; for the increased pace of change; for job insecurity, higher tax bills, and a loss of belonging and identity in an increasingly globalised world.

Harking back to mythical better times is commonplace among the people I encountered, whether neo-nazi thugs or educated professionals.

I have listened to voters explain that being swamped by asylum seekers causes them to support the far Right, even when I can prove no such asylum seekers exist within their community.

All too often, settled minority communities are tarnished with this same brush, viewed under the label of Allah, as “other”, foreign and alien. Belief is a hard thing to challenge.

The Right also benefits from many first-time voters, as well as from the rise of single-issue politics. Ironically, studies in France showed that the greatest support for parties such as the Front National came from the suburbs, propelled by a fear of “invasion” by the city and its supposed immigrant gangs.

Multiculturalism vs integration?

Strange times are forging stranger alliances. I have witnessed gatherings of Islamic radicals with western Holocaust deniers, united in mutual anti-Semitism.

With anti-Semitic feelings surging across Europe, some Jews have even turned to the far Right as a result of their own fears of attack and intimidation from North African or Turkish youths.

Those same youths are being torn apart by an identity crisis, belonging neither in the West nor to their parents’ culture of the East or South.

After race riots in northern Britain during the summer of 2001, it was revealed that the white and Asian communities had self-segregated long before any mass outbreak of violence. There was little real communication across the divide.

Trevor Phillips, leader of the UK’s Commission for Racial Equality, has recently said that multiculturalism is dead and that integration is the way forward. Rather as with US citizenship rights, European states have begun to emulate the USA and focus on a “greater” embracing identity.

Is this the way forward, or closing the stable door after the horse has bolted?

The coming decades will be a time of identity politics and identity beliefs. If we are to avoid George Orwell’s future (a place where, he said, “If you want a picture of the future, imagine a boot stamping on a human face – for ever”) we need to take stock now.

Or Orwell’s predictions may be nearer than we think.

[Stentor]

That is the reality of Nationalism, and the end results of Nationalist policies are nearly always horrific.

You are an internationalist?

[An.American.Expatriate]

Welcome to Free Republic.

Care to be specific about your claims?

[GOP_1900AD]

The USA was a result of nationalist policies. And we held to them strictly for our first several decades. It was when we started to discard Geo. Washington's advice to avoid unnecessary foreign entanglements that our own troubles started. Similarly, excess internationalism has resulted in many woes for certain European countries. There is well justified angst in the UK as well, regarding "integration." I think Peter Hitchens captures these things well in his two books. If the Tories will not speak for those who believe in Borders, Language and Culture, then there is no alternative but for the BNP to pick of the torch. Too bad, so sad. These are evil times.

[weegee]

I don't think it is just Islamofascism that they are trying to block. Socialism is also on the rise.

I read that these are "far right" but what does that mean? Where is the state in their political ideology?

Most of what is presented in this thread and editorial are about race hatred. That is not a political ideology akin to right wing/left wing. Unless we are going to echo the liberal mantra that all conservatives are racist.

I agree that these groups are racist. I do not necessarily agree that they are "right wing" or "conservative".

[GOP_1900AD]

Bump.

[An.American.Expatriate]

Problem is weegee, the Europeans have no comprehension of what an "american" right wing is! They can not understand us as our views are foreign to them. The "right" in Europe has NOTHING in common with the "right" in the US.

[CasearianDaoist]

Just what are you trying to say? Could you be more specific or is your "thought" as convoluted as your prose?

[AlexW]

"Since the left-wing secular socialists are failing to confront the threat"

You make a good point. The secular left condemns all forms of Christianity, but they bend over to placate the Muslims.

Maybe when Europe has a few 9/11 incidents....oh, never mind,
they will do as Spain, over less then 200 deaths.
They will just give the keys to Ben Laden, and build more mosques for him.

[An.American.Expatriate]

I suspect a troll . . .

[An.American.Expatriate]

PS - not you!!!!

[11Bush]

Please ask your mommy to explain how the world works, then get back to us.

[Akira]

Howdy, welcome to FR! Enjoy your stay.

...knowledge will set you free

Has your Chomskyite education set you free?

[usurper]

The writer comes off as a true believer in multiculturalism who simply can’t understand why everything he has been taught and believes is coming apart.

Therefore he must attack the motives of those whom he disagrees with him calling them (just a few quotes from the article) extremists “white power” music scene, numerous football hooligans or xenophobes and violent racists or affected by fears – some would say hysteria – over immigration, asylum, terrorism and Islam.

I am sure that some are, but perhaps the growing majority are simply aware of what is happening and want something done about it.

“Harking back to mythical better times is commonplace among the people I encountered, whether neo-nazi thugs or educated professionals.”

See wasn’t that an easy way to discredit people to don’t agree with you. Now watch him do it again in case you were not paying attention the first time.

Strange times are forging stranger alliances. I have witnessed gatherings of Islamic radicals with western Holocaust deniers, united in mutual anti-Semitism.

Now he is even having a go at the Jews:

With anti-Semitic feelings surging across Europe, some Jews have even turned to the far Right as a result of their own fears of attack and intimidation from North African or Turkish youths.

Here is what it all comes down to:

There are widely held beliefs – from the bars of Flanders to the alpine chalets of Bavaria – that someone else must to blame for the breakdown of traditional communities.

The writer just can’t comprehend it. He’s looking in the mirror. Fortunately Trevor Phillips, gets it:

Trevor Phillips, leader of the UK’s Commission for Racial Equality, has recently said that multiculturalism is dead and that integration is the way forward. Rather as with US citizenship rights, European states have begun to emulate the USA and focus on a “greater” embracing identity.

[Eurotwit]

First of all. I HATE ARTICLES SUCH AS THESE.

They portay parties like the Progress party in Norway and the Peoples's party in Denmark as neo nazis.

AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!

[Eurotwit]

And the Progress party is not in the same league as the BNP.

The progress party is a party that appeals to Christian conservatives with a libertarian bent.

I hate articles like this....

[Eurotwit]

According to this article I am not only a troll. I am also a neo nazi.

I vote for the Progress party. The only half decent alternative for Norwegian conservatives. It has a libertarian bent. Is strongly pro-America, and pro-Israel. Wanted Norway to honour our US alliance with a real force in Iraq, and want to boot out Mullah Krekar.

[Eurotwit]

Listen,

This article is just downright ignorant!!!

Here is some real info from a great Norwegian blogger:

"The Danish People's Party is very different. It has certain aspects of American conservatism about it. They have a strong sense of patriotism, are very clear about Christianity being a central part of Danish culture, and feel warmly about individual freedom and law and order. They're also highly critical of the EU. On the issue of Muslim immigration, I think you can compare them to Oriana Fallaci. I've said before that Pia Kjærsgaard would feel at home as a bellicose blogger. She has a sharp pen and a good eye for the ridiculous effects of p.c.'ness.

If there's anything that bothers me about the Danish People's Party, it's a sense that deep down they're an angry party. I'm uneasy about angry parties. Maybe the Danes have more to be angry about, or maybe it's just a question of attitude. Of course, these are all just my impressions. I haven't followed these two parties closely, and just because I live in Norway doesn't mean I understand Denmark or Sweden. (The three Scandinavian countries are close enough to invite comparison, but don't let that fool you. It fools me all the time.)

Carl I Hagen and the Progress Party stand somewhere between these other two parties. They have secular libertarian roots, but also hold an appeal for conservative Christians. Hagen is more critical of immigration and Islam than Leijonborg, less than Kjærsgaard. They used to be more outspoken on immigration than they are now, though. Through several purges over the last ten years, Carl I Hagen rid the party of both its most principled libertarians and its wackiest anti-immigrationists and village idiots. At the time, this was seen as devastating for the party. The last crisis, a couple of years ago, ended their first period as the most popular party in Norway.

Now, all that is forgotten and forgiven. What remains is a very popular party (first or second, depending on the poll), with libertarian core principles, a sensible suspicion of multiculturalism, and a leadership with populist instincts. (The libertarianism has been somewhat diluted with social democracy and pragmatism. I'm not sure what to call the mix.) Like the Socialist Left, they have a strong and justified belief in their own grassroot credentials. And somewhere along the way, Hagen seems to have learned how to build a stable party organization, one that doesn't need to be regularly purged from above to function well. That's a vital step when going from a one-man's political list to a major, responsible party. The longer Hagen stays at the top, (he's been at it for 25 years), the better for the party, but it won't fall apart if he dies, like Pim Fortuyn's List did. I believe Siv Jensen will do a good job when she inevitably takes over. (Politically, I trust her more than Hagen, but she lacks some of his charisma. Then again, she's much prettier.)

A curious fact: Of all the times I've written about the Progress Party in this blog, I've never written the same thing twice, and I somehow always end up being more positive than the last time. I'm not sure what that means, but part of the reason that I can't settle on an opinion might be that I'm just about the only person I know of who writes regularly about this from the perspective that Norwegian right-wing populism might actually be a good thing. In the Norwegian media, the Progress Party is still analyzed as unprincipled manipulators and/or dangerous neo-libertarians, when they're analyzed at all. (Some former critics have become more silent, without offering any revised opinions.) Foreign media rarely mention them, of course. Haider, Le Pen, Fortuyn, Kjærsgaard - they're all more exciting examples of European right-wing populism than Hagen. So I might be stuck in my own personal feedback loop here, or I might just need some time to get it right on my own.
"

[Clemenza]

Far right parties in Europe never get more than 15% of the vote. Even when they surpass that (as Le Pen did when he got 22%), they get trounced in the run-off.

[Eurotwit]

But, this article lumps parties such as the Progess party in Norway (My party), the Peoples Party in Denmark, List Pim Fortuyn in the Netherlands into the same batch as the BNP and Le Pen.

[Clemenza]

Europe will die a natural death even without immigration. White European women aint exactly producing children.

There are no more Romans, no Sumerians, no Hittites, no Canaanites. All of these once dominated their respective areas, but eventually disappeared. Such will be the case with white Europeans. Whether this is a good or bad thing depends on one's point of view.