Even though the Right-wing candidate Norbert Hofer of the FPÖ
finally conceded, once again the fact that these parties are coming so close to
power and are gaining in popularity indicates there's a growing wave of
sentiment with their positions and ideology.
No one can predict the future and yet it would seem if things
continue as they are, let alone in the face of some kind of catalyst/crisis
then it would seem that France, Austria, and some of the Scandinavian nations
are likely to see Right-wing administrations.
The US in fomenting the tensions with Russia is also fueling
this Right-ward turn. During the 1970s and 1980s the European Far Right also
tended to have rather mixed feelings about the United States. That said, the US
actively employed not a few fascists and actual ex-Nazis that were still
involved in political and clandestine operations.
However with the rise of the EU and the growing tensions with
Russia the Far Right is increasingly finding common cause in the 'unofficial'
US agenda for Europe.
I was under the impression that the rise of the far-right in Europe had mostly to do with steady economic decline and the recent massive influx of migrants from the Middle East. Also, many far-right parties are not only anti-EU (which they believe serves the interests of faceless, multinational corporations that unfairly concentrate wealth and dominate markets through what they consider to be "crony capitalism") but also anti-NATO and even, to an extent, pro-Russian.
ReplyDeleteHere is a speech delivered last year by Karl Richter, a representative of the NPD in Germany: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V5-OgiqJ1nQ
If you look closely, the pin on his lapel is the German and Russian flags joined together. He also speaks highly of Putin.
Some maybe even most of the Far-Right movements are anti-NATO and pro-Russian but the immigration crisis is generating some shifts in thought. Also the anti-Russian aggression propaganda is also starting to bear some fruit.
ReplyDeleteApparently the fat lady hasn't sung quite yet.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.euractiv.com/section/elections/news/austria-heads-for-snap-election-as-coalition-shatters/