Notes on far-right parties and politics in Europe

Last week, Finland became the latest country to join NATO. However, Finland also became the latest country in Europe where far-right party surged in elections. Finns Party (Perussuomalaiset) nearly won the elections and received 20% of the votes. Support of far-right and right-wing populist parties has remained strong in Europe and far-right parties have become part of mainstream politics, so it is possible that Finns Party will be part of the new Finnish government – the former version of the Finns Party was part of Finnish coalition government during years 2015-2017. (1, 2, 3).

Here is a list of support of some far-right parties in European countries. Most of the parties in the list are considered to be far-right parties, for example Belgian party Flemish Interest (Vlaams Belang) or Spanish party Vox. Some parties are considered to be hardline right-wing populist and/or nationalist parties bordering on far-right, for example Polish party Law and Justice and Hungarian party Fidesz – these two ruling parties have caused conflict with the European Union because of their breaches of the rule of law in their countries and they have also been trying to unite the hardline nationalist and far-right parties in Europe (7).

Austria Freedom Party of Austria FPÖ 28%
Belgium Flemish Interest / Vlaams Belang 24%
Bulgaria Revival 14%
Croatia Homeland Movement DPMŠ 9%
Cyprus National Popular Front ELAM 7%
Czech Republic Freedom and Direct Democracy SPD 9%
Denmark Denmark Democrats DD 9% Danish People’s Party DF 4%
Estonia Conservative People’s Party of Estonia EKRE 17%
Finland Finns Party PS 20%
France* National Rally RN 20% Reconquest REC 5%
Germany Alternative for Germany AfD 15%
Greece* National Party – Greeks EKE 3.9%
Hungary Fidesz 50% Our Home Movement MH 10%
Italy Brothers of Italy Fdl 29% Lega 9%
Netherlands Party for Freedom PVV 9 % Forum for Democracy FvD 5%
Poland Law and Justice/United Right ZP 36% Confederation Freedom and Independence 9% Kukiz’15 2%
Portugal Enough / Chega 13%
Romania Alliance for the Unity of Romanians AUR 18%
Slovakia Republic REP 9% People’s Party – Our Slovakia L´SNS 2%
Slovenia Slovenian National Party SNS 2%
Spain Vox 15%
Sweden Sweden Democrats SD 18%

(Polling information was taken from Politico’s Poll of Polls or PolitPro* website, some information about the political parties is also from Europe Elects website, 4, 5, 6)

The situation in Europe, and in the West in general, is similar to the 1930’s. The far right has been getting stronger. Last December, after the arrests of the members of the Reichsbürger movement in Germany, UN Secretary-General António Guterres warned that the “biggest threat of terrorism” is posed by far-right and white supremacist groups in the West (8). However, there seem to be two far-right trends that are sometimes intertwined. First of all, support for the older ethno-nationalist, racist and antisemitic far right seems to have increased. Some far-right parties, for example German party Alternative for Germany (AfD), have veered further to the right (9). There are also new openly fascist parties with connections to neo-Nazis, for example Blue-and-Black Movement (Sinimusta Liike) in Finland and National Party – Greeks (EKE) in Greece (10, 11).

The second trend is the Jewish and pro-Israel far right. This trend seems to be particularly strong within the American-Israeli alliance. I will write more about the developments in the American-Israeli alliance separately, but USA and Israel have also been operating actively with the far right in Europe. Professor Cas Mudde wrote in 2021 that there are “at least four major strands of far-right international networks” in which the American conservative movement, including the Republican Party, participates. The first far-right strand is the global Christian right. The second strand is the “national conservativism” movement that was developed by Israeli think-tanker Yoram Hazony. The third strand is the long-standing connection between some Republicans and European far-right parties – this connection is built on “a shared ideological core of nativism, authoritarianism and populism.” The fourth strand is the conservative far-right network in the Spanish-speaking world that has been built by Spanish far-right party Vox. (12) Some American far-right projects in Europe haven’t gone according to plan. Steve Bannon, ex-adviser of former president Trump, tried to bring the European far-right parties to his anti-EU organization The Movement, but he failed. Bannon also failed to establish “academy for the Judeo-Christian West” that was supposed to train right-wing “gladiators” in Italy. (13, 14)

Jewish far right found common ground with the wider Western far right when the Islamophobic counterjihad movement became stronger over 20 years ago. Many key persons in the counterjihad movement have been Jewish, for example American far-right writers Pamela Geller and David Horowitz as well as neoconservative Daniel Pipes and Austrian-Israeli Dr. Manfred Gerstenfeld. Egyptian-born Jewish writer Gisèle Littman alias Bat Ye’or started to use the term “Eurabia” and created Islamophobic conspiracy theory that inspired numerous members of the counterjihad movement and other far right, including Anders Breivik who killed over 70 people in Norway in 2011. Some prominent members of the counterjihad movement have also been ardent friends of Israel, for example American far-right blogger Kenneth Sikorski who wrote his blog Tundra Tabloids in Finland and Dutch far-right politician Geert Wilders whose Party for Freedom PVV has had quite strong support in the Netherlands. (15, 16, 17, 18, 19)

Some Jewish politicians have joined European far-right parties. When The Times of Israel interviewed some of them in 2017, two of their unifying traits were their anti-Muslim attitude and support for Israel. French far-right party National Rally has attracted some politicians who have Jewish roots, for example Louis Aliot and David Rachline, who are currently vice presidents of the party, and Michel Tooris who was interviewed by The Times of Israel. (20, 21) In December 2021, French Jewish far-right media personality and presidential candidate Eric Zemmour decided to establish his own far-right party Reconquest. Reuters reported that the name of the party “evokes the historic period known as the Reconquista, when Christian forces drove Muslim rulers from the Iberian peninsula.” (22) Incidentally, Santiago Abascal, leader of the Spanish far-right party Vox, has used the term “Reconquista” in his political campaigns (23). During the French presidential elections last year, 53% of the voters based in Israel, who were eligible to vote in those elections and voted, voted for Zemmour (24, 25). André Ventura, who is dubbed the “Zemmour” of the Portuguese politics, is the leader of the new far-right party Chega that has gained popularity quite quickly. Ventura announced a little while ago that Chega will organize “far-right world summit” in Portugal next month. (26, 27, 28)

Israel and particularly Benjamin Netanyahu and his party Likud have been developing cooperation with European far-right parties a long time. Likud has invited several European far-right leaders to Israel. One reason for this has been their common opposition of Islamism. Israel has also looked for allies against any criticism against Israel in the European Union. Last month, Israeli foreign minister Cohen asked his Italian counterpart “to work to prevent European involvement in Israel’s domestic matters and in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict” after the foreign policy chief of the European Union had criticized Israel’s actions. (29, 30) New Israeli far-right coalition government has also sought advice from the Polish government regarding their judicial overhaul (31). Italian far-right government and Israel agreed to deepen their strategic and other cooperation, last month (32). There have also been strong supporters of Israel in the Spanish far-right party Vox. The strategist of Vox, Rafael Bardají, who has also been called “Darth Vader” of the party, has been one of the leading neoconservatives in Spain and long-time supporter of Israel. Last November, Bardají criticized President Biden and American “wokeism” and he believed that Netanyahu would be better and stronger Western leader. (33, 34, 35, 36)

References:

1) “Finland’s centre-right party claims win amid tight election” Euronews 3.4.2023

https://www.euronews.com/2023/04/02/finlands-national-coalition-party-set-to-win-election-public-broadcaster-says

2) “What the recent wins for far-right parties in Europe could mean for the region” NPR 1.10.2022

https://www.npr.org/2022/10/01/1126419403/what-the-recent-wins-for-far-right-parties-in-europe-could-mean-for-the-region

3) The first Finns Party in the Finnish coalition government 2015-2017 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sipilä_Cabinet

4) Politico’s Poll of Polls: https://www.politico.eu/europe-poll-of-polls/

5) PolitPro: https://politpro.eu/en

6) Europe Elects: https://europeelects.eu/european-union/

7) “The game is not over: Fidesz, Law and Justice, and far-right cooperation in the EU” European Council on Foreign Relations 27.5.2022

https://ecfr.eu/article/the-game-is-not-over-fidesz-law-and-justice-and-far-right-cooperation-in-the-eu/

8) “UN chief says ‘biggest terror threat’ is white supremacy in West” Middle East Eye 20.12.2022

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/un-chief-says-white-supremacy-west-biggest-terror-threat

9) “Far-right AfD chief Jörg Meuthen quits party” EURACTIV 28.1.2022

https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/far-right-afd-chief-jorg-meuthen-quits-party-amid-ideological-differences/

10) “Openly fascist and racist party has set its sights on parliamentary elections” Helsinki Times 15.12.2022

https://www.helsinkitimes.fi/finland/finland-news/domestic/22679-openly-fascist-and-racist-party-has-set-its-sights-on-parliamentary-elections.html

11) “Greek neo-Nazis seek ‘loopholes’ to run in elections” EURACTIV 6.4.2023

https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/greek-neo-nazis-seek-loopholes-to-run-in-elections/

12) “Surprised to see US Republicans cozying up to the European far right? Don’t be” The Guardian 15.10.2021

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/oct/15/us-republicans-european-far-right

13) “Steve Bannon’s effort to export his fiery popularism to Europe is failing” Reuters 2.9.2020

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-trump-bannon-europe-idUSKBN25T1NZ

14) “Steve Bannon’s right-wing ‘gladiator school’ booted from Italian monastery” Business Insider 8.9.2021

https://www.businessinsider.com/steve-bannon-right-wing-gladiator-school-booted-from-italian-monastery-2021-9?r=US&IR=T

15) Counterjihad in Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Counter-jihad

16) Counterjihad in Powerbase: https://powerbase.info/index.php/Counterjihad_movement

17) “The myth of Eurabia: how a far-right conspiracy theory went mainstream” The Guardian 16.8.2019

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/aug/16/the-myth-of-eurabia-how-a-far-right-conspiracy-theory-went-mainstream

18) “Controversy at London seminar on antisemitism” Islamophobia Watch 6.12.2012

https://www.islamophobiawatch.co.uk/controversy-at-london-seminar-on-antisemitism/

19) “Europe’s Most Provocative Far-right Politician Is Looking to Israel for Answers” Haaretz 11.12.2020

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/2020-12-11/ty-article/.premium/europes-most-provocative-far-right-politician-is-looking-to-israel-for-answers/0000017f-db13-df0f-a17f-df536e920000

20) “Why these 5 European Jews are promoting far-right parties” The Times of Israel 31.3.2017

https://www.timesofisrael.com/why-these-5-european-jews-are-promoting-far-right-parties/

21) National Rally in Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Rally

22) “Far-right French presidential hopeful promises ‘reconquest’ at rally” Reuters 6.12.2021

https://www.reuters.com/world/europe/far-right-french-presidential-hopeful-promises-reconquest-rally-2021-12-05/

23) “El “patinazo” histórico de Vox: Abascal presume de liderar la Reconquista con un casco de otra época” El Español 7.3.2019

https://www.elespanol.com/cultura/20190307/patinazo-historico-vox-abascal-presume-liderar-reconquista/381462690_0.html

24) “L’abstention et Eric Zemmour, gagnants du premier tour parmi les Français d’Israël” The Times of Israel 13.4.2022

https://fr.timesofisrael.com/labstention-et-eric-zemmour-gagnants-du-premier-tour-parmi-les-francais-disrael/

25) “Over half of French voters in Israel pick far-right Zemmour for president” The New Arab 12.4.2022

https://www.newarab.com/news/over-half-french-voters-israel-pick-far-right-zemmour

26) “Portugal’s abrasive far-right leader tipped for surprise poll gain” Yahoo! News 28.1.2022

https://www.yahoo.com/now/portugals-abrasive-far-leader-tipped-070605617.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmZpLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAADh7CZBWwvRE7hsvEEmfv_bLreCvId8ncuTI9vk1MxjcOsI9sFqAv5rf29LF1bvWc6QcX30R8kYmE6tR5syZ5qcRMPLdzDMnf-Mt12AB8b8mt8djdwW3S0ujNmw6tRkFWi33z49EtkBZV1cVp7Fn8kxim7v_x2hGPieHyCxPuQWN

27) “Portugal : les raisons de la percée d’André Ventura, le Zemmour portugais” L’Express 1.2.2022

https://www.lexpress.fr/monde/europe/portugal-les-raisons-de-la-percee-d-andre-ventura-le-zemmour-portugais_2167203.html

28) “Portugal party Chega sets far-right world summit with Brazil’s Bolsonaro, Italy’s Salvini” Yahoo! News 7.4.2023

https://sports.yahoo.com/portugal-party-chega-sets-far-194017141.html

29) “Netanyahu’s flirtation with the far right” Le Monde Diplomatique 12.10.2018

https://mondediplo.com/outsidein/netanyahu-s-flirtation-with-the-far-right

30) “FM Cohen accuses EU foreign policy chief of equating Israeli terror victims with terrorists” The Times of Israel 14.3.2023

https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/fm-cohen-accuses-eu-foreign-policy-chief-of-equating-israeli-terror-victims-with-terrorists/

31) “Polish deputy FM: Israel consulted with us on overhauling judiciary” The Times of Israel 27.3.2023

https://www.timesofisrael.com/polish-deputy-fm-israel-consulted-with-us-on-overhauling-judiciary/

32) “Foreign policy and defence: Italy and Israel deepen strategic ties” Decode 39 13.3.2023

https://decode39.com/6126/foreign-policy-defence-italy-israel-strategic-ties/

33) “Bannon sets his eyes on Spain” European Council on Foreign Relations 24.10.2018

https://ecfr.eu/article/commentary_bannon_sets_his_eyes_on_spain/

34) Information about Rafael Bardají: https://octavianreport.com/contributor/rafael-bardaji/

35) “El ‘Darth Vader’ de Vox se queda sin sitio en el nuevo equipo de Abascal” El Plural 23.2.2020

https://www.elplural.com/politica/espana/darth-vader-vox-queda-sitio-equipo-abascal_233825102

36) “Israel: The Last Option for the West” Middle East Forum 3.11.2022

https://www.meforum.org/63771/israel-the-last-option-for-the-west

Far-right Reichsbürger movement in Germany

German far-right Reichsbürger (Citizens of the Reich) movement has made headlines during recent months. In December last year, German police raided several places across the country and arrested over 20 people, who were planning to overthrow the government and violently storm the German parliament building Reichstag. Couple of members of the plot were arrested in Austria and Italy. The arrested people had strong links to the Reichsbürger movement and the QAnon conspiracy theories. One arrested person was a former MP for the far-right party Alternative für Deutschland (AfD). (1) In January this year, five Germans were charged with treason over an another alleged far-right plot to overthrow the German government. The beliefs of the group were very similar to the Reichsbürger movement. (2) Last week, a German police officer was shot and wounded during raids in an operation that was related to investigations regarding the Reichsbürger movement (3).

The Reichsbürger movement consists of small groups and individuals who live in different parts of Germany. Members of the movement support various beliefs, for example that modern Germany is not a sovereign state and should therefore not be considered to be a legitimate form of government. Some supporters of the movement believe that the German Empire of 1871 still exists, some others want to bring back Hitler’s Third Reich. Many members of the movement support right-wing, populist, antisemitic and Nazi ideologies. According to German government data, there are about 23,000 members in the Reichsbürger movement and 1,250 of those are part of the right-wing extremist scene. Around 400 members of the movement own weapons and around 2,300 members are considered to be prone to violence. It is also concerning that a significant number of the movement’s members are thought to be current or former soldiers who are highly trained and some of them legally possess firearms. (4)

German journalist Tobias Ginsburg, who has reported on Germany’s far-right scene, considers the Reichsbürger movement to be “extremely dangerous” and he is worried that the movement’s ideology can spread. He also pointed out that you can find similar thinking in the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party. (4) Jörg Meuthen, who was longest-serving leader of the AfD, left the party last year because according to him the party is becoming too far-right. He said, “The heart of the party today beats very far to the right, and at an elevated rate. I do see quite totalitarian echoes here.” (5) German terrorism experts have warned that a combination of the COVID pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Europe’s energy crisis has made the situation in the country more worrisome. After the members of the far-right coup plot were arrested, last year, professor Peter Neumann estimated, “We’re going to see more events like this. A well-connected swamp has emerged from the protests against the coronavirus pandemic policies and now this scene has been radicalized.” (6)

References:

1) “German police raids target group accused of far-right plot to overthrow state” The Guardian 7.12.2022

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/dec/07/german-police-raids-target-far-right-reich-citizens-movement

2) “Five charged over second alleged far-right plot against German government” The Guardian 23.1.2023

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jan/23/five-charged-over-second-far-right-plot-to-overthrow-german-government

3) “German officer shot during raids targeting Reichsbürger movement” The Guardian 22.3.2023

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/mar/22/germany-police-officer-shot-raids-reichsburger-movement

4) “The far out, far-right plot that Germany is still trying to unravel” CNN 25.3.2023

https://edition.cnn.com/2023/03/25/europe/germany-reichsbuerger-movement-explainer-intl/index.html

5) “Far-right AfD chief Jörg Meuthen quits party” EURACTIV 28.1.2022

https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/far-right-afd-chief-jorg-meuthen-quits-party-amid-ideological-differences/

6) “Germans on the verge of a nervous breakdown” Politico 8.12.2022

https://www.politico.eu/article/germany-republic-monarchy-rechsburger-michael-gotschenberg-on-the-verge-of-a-nervous-breakdow/

“Generation Hate” – A two-part documentary about far-right movement Generation Identity in France

If you haven’t already seen this, watch a two-part documentary about far-right movement Generation Identity (GI) in France. Here are links to the videos on Al Jazeera:

Generation Hate Part 1:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/generation-hate-part-1-181226094751438.html

Generation Hate Part 2:

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/generation-hate-part-2-181226095511884.html

Spanish far-right party Vox and the changing right-wing politics in Spain

Spanish Social Democratic Party PSOE was the clear winner of Sunday’s general election in Spain. PSOE won 28.7 % of the votes and 123 parliamentary seats, an increase of 38 seats. However, the left-wing coalition Unidas Podemos won 14.3 % of the votes and 42 seats, a loss of 29 seats. (1, 2)

A more significant upheaval seems to be taking place amid Spanish right-wing parties. The conservative party Partido Popular PP suffered historic defeat by losing over half of its seats (loss of 71 seats) and by winning 16.7 % of the votes. Ciudadanos won 15.9 % of the votes and 57 seats, an increase of 25 seats. (1) There have been indications that Ciudadanos is becoming more right-wing and the success of the party in this election will make it challenger of the PP. (2, 3, 4, 5)

The biggest shock was the success of far-right party Vox. The party won 24 seats and 10.3 % of the votes and it became the first far-right party to enter the Spanish parliament after decades (6). Vox has become known for its strong, aggressive rhetoric and its stance against multiculturalism, mass immigration, Muslims and women’s rights. Vox has drawn inspiration from French, British and American hard-line right-win populists. Members of the party have shown their admiration for President Trump and his policies and they like to use slogans that are similar to the ones used by Trump. (7)

Vox has quite interesting connections to neoconservatives and other right-wing politicians in the U.S. camp. Leading Spanish neoconservative and former Prime Minister of Spain, José María Aznar, is seen as influencer or “tsar” of the three Spanish right-wing parties Vox, PP and Ciudadanos (8). Aznar has spoken favorably about Santiago Abascal, current leader of Vox and former member of PP. Aznar said in October that Abascal is a “boy full of good qualities.” (9) Rafael Bardají, another leading Spanish neoconservative and former advisor of Aznar, is now strategist of Vox. Bardají is well-known for his strong support for Israel and for his anti-Muslim stance. Bardají is founder and former director of Madrid-based right-wing think-tank Strategic Studies Group GEES and he is also Executive Director of the Friends of Israel Initiative. (10, 11) Steve Bannon, former advisor of President Trump, endorsed Vox after meeting Bardají, last year. Bannon has wanted Vox to be part of his European far-right alliance The Movement. (7, 10)

Even though Vox is now known for its Islamophobia, the party has actually received funding from Iranian dissident groups. When Vox was founded as a splinter group of PP in 2013, one of the founders of Vox, Alejo Vidal-Quadras, arranged funding for the new party from exiled Iranian group National Council of Resistance of Iran NCRI. According to a spokesperson for the NCRI, the organization gave funding without knowing that Vox would become a far-right party. The NCRI is now considered to be a “front organization” of Iranian terrorist cult Mojahedin-e-Khalq MEK. Several American politicians have shown their support for MEK. President Trump’s lawyer Rudy Giuliani and National Security Advisor John Bolton consider MEK to be a legitimate opposition to the current Iranian government. (12)

References:

1) “Analysis: How did Sunday’s elections change Spain’s political landscape?” El País 29.4.2019

https://elpais.com/elpais/2019/04/29/inenglish/1556519911_184823.html

2) Elecciones generales 2019 – Resultados El País 29.4.2019

https://resultados.elpais.com/elecciones/generales.html

3) “Everyone against Ciudadanos” El País 30.11.2017

https://elpais.com/elpais/2017/11/30/inenglish/1512056948_465189.html

4) “Spain’s Albert Rivera shifts party rightward ahead of vote” Financial Times 24.3.2019

https://www.ft.com/content/1774e27e-4a29-11e9-8b7f-d49067e0f50d

5) “Ciudadanos disputa al PP el liderazgo de la derecha” El País 29.4.2019

https://elpais.com/politica/2019/04/28/actualidad/1556462369_564500.html

6) “Spanish election: socialists win amid far-right gains for Vox party” The Guardian 29.4.2019

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/28/spain-election-socialists-to-win-most-seats-far-right-vox-resurgent

7) “Vox: Who are the Trump-inspired far-right Spanish nationalist party and what do they stand for?” The Independent 11.1.2019

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vox-andalusia-santiago-abascal-spain-steve-bannon-donald-trump-a8723121.html

8) “A Darkening Horizon” Jacobin 17.12.2018

https://jacobinmag.com/2018/12/spain-municipal-elections-vox-far-right

9) “Abascal, busting Spain’s ‘traitors’ to resurrect far-right” Yahoo Finance 29.4.2019

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/abascal-busting-spains-traitors-resurrect-far-222819746.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmZpLw&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAMYJjsTJ3i2PaUP1Jh6mZOPRvgFACNlkpkcZ7dxqzSUZRF06chuy9BAHJ4_xb3eDp1qKBpLjTaOopzV4wuuJ0Vt8_CnFTYgweE4PSF3_H3VDr5bXtugKcJQRzoYr4iUT946T3rjKgPXVifIPB_eW73VoWyPAfOc9RigUY6L_BD40

10) “Bannon sets his eyes on Spain” European Council on Foreign Relations ECFR 24.10.2018

https://www.ecfr.eu/article/commentary_bannon_sets_his_eyes_on_spain

11) Contributors – Rafael Bardají Octavian Report

https://octavianreport.com/contributor/rafael-bardaji/

12) “Spain’s Vox Party Hates Muslims – Except the Ones Who Fund It” Foreign Policy 27.4.2019

https://foreignpolicy.com/2019/04/27/spains-vox-party-hates-muslims-except-the-ones-who-fund-it-mek-ncri-maryam-rajavi-pmoi-vidal-quadras-abascal/

Far-right populist Finns Party

The parliamentary elections in Finland on Sunday turned out to be a real cliffhanger. Social Democratic Party (SDP) won the elections with a very narrow margin. Far-right populist, anti-immigration Finns Party (Perussuomalaiset) came surprisingly close to victory. (1)

Members of the Finns Party are known for their Euroscepticism, ethno-nationalism, xenophobia, anti-immigration stance, racism and Islamophobia. In 2012, Finnish Supreme Court ordered Jussi Halla-aho, current leader of the party, to pay fines for his Islamophobic blog posts dating back to year 2008. Halla-aho is well-known in the counter-jihad circles, his comments have been published for example on Gates of Vienna website. (2, 3) Sebastian Tynkkynen, new MP of the party, was convicted of incitement against an ethnic group and breaching religious peace in 2017 because of his anti-Islamic Facebook posts during summer 2016 (4). Ano Turtiainen, also new MP of the party, was fined for inciting violence against the Red Cross in 2018 (5). Teuvo Hakkarainen, veteran MP of the party, was fined because of his anti-Muslim comments on Facebook in 2017 (6). Olli Immonen and Juho Eerola, both MPs of the party, and Jussi Halla-aho have been members of Suomen Sisu, a far-right, enthnonationalistic, Nazi-spirited organization (7, 8). Immonen caused an uproar in 2015 with his Facebook post against multiculturalism:

“I’m dreaming of a strong, brave nation that will defeat this nightmare called multiculturalism. This ugly bubble that our enemies live in, will soon burst into a million little pieces. Our lives are entwined in a very harsh times. These are the days that will forever leave a mark on our nation’s future. I have strong belief in my fellow fighters. We will fight until the end for our homeland and one true Finnish nation. The victory will be ours.” (9)

Immonen’s post was compared to the manifesto of Norwegian mass-murderer Anders Breivik and Immonen happened to publish his post around the time of the anniversary of the terrorist attacks in Norway (10, 11). Laura Huhtasaari, MP of the party, seems to have become Finnish poster-girl for the far right. Huhtasaari is an admirer of President Trump and Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán and, alongside Jussi Halla-aho, one of the leading Islamophobes in Finland. Huhtasaari likes to imitate President Trump by using motto “Finland First.” (12, 13) When British far-right figure Katie Hopkins visited Finland with prominent counter-jihadist Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff in January (14), Hopkins arranged a live interview with Huhtasaari in Helsinki. During the interview, Huhtasaari repeated her motto “Finland First” as well as her Islamophobic and anti-immigration views. When Hopkins asked, who Huhtasaari would like to meet, Huhtasaari mentioned that she had already met Jordan B Peterson (Canadian far-right academic) and that she would like to meet Paul Joseph Watson (British far-right vlogger). When Hopkins asked again, who Huhtasaari would like to invite to Finland, she said she likes Nigel Farage (British far-right Brexiteer). (15)

References:

1) “SDP takes top spot, populists rally, heavy losses for PM’s Centre in Finnish election” YLE News 15.4.2019

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/sdp_takes_top_spot_populists_rally_heavy_losses_for_pms_centre_in_finnish_election/10739392

2) “Supreme Court orders Halla-aho to pay for hate speech” YLE News 8.6.2012

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/supreme_court_orders_halla-aho_to_pay_for_hate_speech/6171739

3) “Jussi Halla-aho” Gates of Vienna website

https://gatesofvienna.net/repression/jussi-hall-aho/

4) “Ex-Finns Party youth leader convicted of hate speech” YLE News 16.1.2017

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/ex-finns_party_youth_leader_convicted_of_hate_speech/9406509

5) “Finns Party pol fined for inciting violence against Red Cross” YLE News 12.9.2018

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/finns_party_pol_fined_for_inciting_violence_against_red_cross/10400019

6) “Three Finns Party politicians in court over online hate speech” YLE News 4.1.2017

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/three_finns_party_politicians_in_court_over_online_hate_speech/9388039

7) “Three anti-immigration PS MPs will pay Hirvisaari’s fine for hate speech” Migrant Tales 1.3.2012

http://www.migranttales.net/three-anti-immigration-ps-mps-will-pay-hirvisaaris-fine-for-hate-speech/

8) “What is Suomen Sisu?” Varis 13.12.2018

https://varisverkosto.com/2018/12/what-is-suomen-sisu/

9) “Finns Party Member Olli Immonen Wants to End the Nightmare Called ‘Multiculturalism’” Finland Today 26.7.2015

https://finlandtoday.fi/finns-party-member-olli-immonen-wants-to-end-the-nightmare-called-multiculturalism/

10) “PM: ‘I cannot accept Immonen’s remarks'” YLE News 26.7.2015

https://yle.fi/uutiset/osasto/news/pm_i_cannot_accept_immonens_remarks/8182347

11) “Norway attacks: at least 92 killed in Oslo and Utoya island” The Guardian 23.7.2011

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2011/jul/23/norway-attacks

12) “WARNING: ISLAMOPHOBIC CONTENT – Laura Huhtasaari (Suomen Uutiset)” Migrant Tales 14.1.2019

http://www.migranttales.net/warning-islamophobic-content-laura-huhtasaari-suomen-uutiset/

13) “A Guide To The Far-Right Power Players Tearing Europe Apart” Huffington Post 25.8.2018

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/guide-far-right-players-europe_n_5b7bf18ee4b0a5b1febee47a

14) “With Katie Hopkins and Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff in Oulu” Tundra Tabloids 14.1.2019

http://tundratabloids.com/2019/01/14/with-katie-hopkins-and-elisabeth-sabaditsch-wolff-in-oulu/

15) Katie Hopkins interviews Laura Huhtasaari

https://youtu.be/XtgGVTFkQoE

Back to 1930s-style politics

Some people said already long time ago that Muslims have now the same role Jewish people had during 1930s. That seems to become more and more obvious. Many kinds of right-wing groups and parties seem to use Muslims as a way to foster divisive politics and to strengthen their own power.

I have already written about the rising Islamophobia in Britain. Anti-Muslim hate crimes increased across Britain by 593% in the week after the Christchurch terrorist attacks (1). The British Conservative Party seems quite complacent regarding Islamophobia and anti-Muslim rhetoric within the party (2). British far-right UKIP party hired notorious Islamophobe Tommy Robinson as a special adviser (3). British far-right figure Katie Hopkins has started touring in Europe and USA with prominent counter-jihadist Elisabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff (4, 5).

The developments in Britain are similar to the situation in mainland Europe, North America and Australia. Anti-Muslim rhetoric and sentiment has become commonplace within right-wing political circles and mainstream media. Therefore it is no wonder that Muslim leaders around the world have criticized mainstream media, politicians and academics for cultivating systemic and institutionalized Islamophobia (6). During his recent visit to Cairo, the Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres expressed his concern regarding the growing anti-Muslim sentiment and the increase of hate crimes all over the world (7).

During this spring there will be several important elections in Europe and elsewhere. European far-right populist and nationalist parties are expected to gain more votes because of their anti-immigrant and Islamophobic rhetoric (8). However, the first elections to watch for will take place today in Israel where Prime Minister Netanyahu is trying to win the elections with his far-right allies (9).

References:

1) “Anti-Muslim hate crimes soar in UK after Christchurch shootings” The Guardian 22.3.2019

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2019/mar/22/anti-muslim-hate-crimes-soar-in-uk-after-christchurch-shootings

2) “The Guardian view on Tory Islamophobia: inaction speaks volumes” The Guardian 28.3.2019

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/mar/28/the-guardian-view-on-tory-islamophobia-inaction-speaks-volumes

3) “Brexit party leader hires prominent anti-Muslim extremist as adviser” The National 23.11.2018

https://www.thenational.ae/world/europe/brexit-party-leader-hires-prominent-anti-muslim-extremist-as-adviser-1.795130

4) “Finland: Katie Hopkins and Elizabeth Sabaditsch-Wolff at the Finnish House of Parliament during live sessions” Tundra Tabloids January 2019

http://tundratabloids.com/2019/01/finland-katie-hopkins-and-elizabeth-sabaditsch-wolff-at-the-finnish-house-of-parliament-during-live-sessions/

5) Katie Hopkins on Twitter:

https://twitter.com/KTHopkins/status/1105498588627521536

6) “‘Systemic Islamophobia’ fuels terror attacks, say Muslim leaders” The Guardian 18.3.2019

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2019/mar/18/uk-muslim-leaders-seek-funding-for-mosque-security

7) “UN head warns against growing anti-Muslim sentiment during Cairo visit” Middle East Eye 2.4.2019

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/un-head-warns-against-growing-anti-muslim-sentiment-during-cairo-visit

8) “Populists are whipping up a storm as Europe faces lurch to the right” The Guardian 6.4.2019

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/06/brexit-distraction-far-right-nationalists-eu-elections

9) “Israelis prepare to go to the polls: here’s what we know” The Guardian 8.4.2019

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/apr/08/israelis-prepare-to-go-to-the-polls-heres-what-we-know

Far-right party’s online poll got surprising results in Czech Republic

Czech Republic has been considering relocation of Syrian orphans. Czech far-right party “Freedom and Direct Democracy” SPD opposed the proposal and decided to organize an online poll in order to get support for their stance. However, 73% of the people who joined the survey supported helping the orphans. SPD quickly erased the poll from their website.

References:

“Czech far-right supporters expose their party, back Syrian orphans” EurActiv 22.2.2019

https://www.euractiv.com/section/politics/news/the-capitals-czech-far-right-supporters-expose-their-party-back-syrian-orphans/

Israel’s cooperation with European right-wing populists and far right

The Guardian reported today that antisemitism has been rising sharply in Europe. According to French historian Marc Knobel, during the past two decades the amount of antisemitic attacks has risen whenever there have been tensions in the Middle East. He said that “rather than attacking Israelis, people went for Jews.” Frédéric Potier of the French government’s anti-racism and antisemitism body Dilcrah said that more traditional forms of antisemitism are also starting to re-emerge and it is due to “the resurgence of a virulent, far-right identity politics.” (1)

However, Israel has also been building cooperation with European right-wing populists and far right for years. Nick Cohen reported in the British newspaper The Jewish Chronicle in 2011 that Ron Prosor, Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, talked 20 minutes with Marine Le Pen, the leader of the French far-right party the National Front (now the National Rally). Later on Prosor claimed that he hadn’t realized who he talked to. According to Cohen, no one in France or Israel believed the official explanation. Cohen continued:

“…it is safe to assume that elements within the Israeli right are toying with the idea of doing business with elements within the European far right. They reason that, because fascistic or ultra-nationalist movements have turned their hatred from Jews to Muslims, they are now partners they can embrace.” (2)

Danny Shek, Israel’s former ambassador to France, said in 2012:

“What worries me as a Jew and as an Israeli is that more and more Jews find her (i.e. Marine Le Pen) appealing. There is a growing popularity for the primitive formula, ‘my enemy’s enemy is my friend’.” (3)

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has had close relationship with Hungary’s right-wing populist Prime Minister Viktor Orban in spite of Orban’s aggressive political campaign against Hungarian-American billionaire George Soros and in spite of the fact that Orban has also praised Miklos Horthy who was ruler of Hungary and Nazi collaborator during World War II. When Orban visited Israel last summer, Netanyahu called him “true friend of Israel.” (4, 5)

Even though Israel does not officially accept right-wing extremists as guests, Netanyahu’s Likud Party has received several European far-right visitors. For example, Italy’s post-fascist leader Gianfranco Fini visited Israel at the beginning of 2000s. Matteo Salvini, current Italian Interior Minister and federal secretary of the far-right party Northern League, visited Israel in 2016. (4) Heinz-Christian Strache, leader of the far-right Austrian Freedom Party FPÖ and current Vice-Chancellor of Austria, has visited Israel several times during recent years (6, 7).

Human rights groups have protested against sale of Israeli weapons to Ukrainian neo-Nazi militia Azov Battalion. Israel has also expressed strong support for Germany’s far-right party Alternative for Germany AfD. (4) Rafi Eitan, former Israeli minister and Mossad spymaster, sent a video message to AfD:

“We all in Israel appreciate your attitude towards Judaism… I’m sure that if you work wisely, strongly and, most important, realistically … that instead of ‘Alternative for Germany,’ you might become an alternative for all of Europe.”

According to Israeli media reports, Eitan also wrote in German a message on his personal Facebook page:

“…the Muslim world and its culture are very different from those of the West. Anywhere there are Muslims today, in any European country, one can expect violence and terror because of these differences.” (8)

Ramzy Baroud and Romana Rubeo believed in their article last year that Israel has been operating with European right-wing populists and far-right leaders in order to find ways to pressure Europe and the European Union, because European countries have criticized Israel’s actions against Palestinians and, more recently, Israel’s decision to accept the Nation State Law. Baroud and Rubeo wrote:

“The Israeli government seems intent on weakening Europe by investing in existing divisions and offering political validation to groups that, until recently, were on the political fringes.

It hopes that a divided Europe will be more easily controlled and coaxed back into Israel’s loyalty camp.

It remains to be seen whether Israel’s embrace of far-right, neo-Nazi and fascist Europe will pay off, the way its government hopes for, or whether it would backfire…” (4)

References:

1) “Antisemitism rising sharply across Europe, latest figures show” The Guardian 15.2.2019

https://www.theguardian.com/news/2019/feb/15/antisemitism-rising-sharply-across-europe-latest-figures-show

2) “Ambassador, how you spoil us” The Jewish Chronicle 23.11.2011

https://www.thejc.com/comment/columnists/ambassador-how-you-spoil-us-1.29461

3) “Marine Le Pen: Don’t French Jews get it?” The Jewish Chronicle 26.4.2012

https://www.thejc.com/news/world/marine-le-pen-don-t-french-jews-get-it-1.33041

4) “An unlikely union: Israel and the European far right” Al Jazeera 17.7.2018

https://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/union-israel-european-180716085952930.html

5) “Netanyahu greets Hungary’s Orban as ‘true friend of Israel’” AP News 19.7.2018

https://www.apnews.com/938bb193c0894691bf42a6457d1fae4c

6) “Far-right Austrian leader visits Israel’s Holocaust memorial” Reuters 12.4.2016

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-israel-austria-strache/far-right-austrian-leader-visits-israels-holocaust-memorial-idUSKCN0X91NX

7) “Austrian far-right leader sympathetic to Israel on Jerusalem recognition” The Times of Israel 11.12.2017

https://www.timesofisrael.com/austrian-far-right-leader-backs-moving-embassy-to-jerusalem-in-sentiment/

8) “Ex-Israeli spymaster, who helped capture Adolf Eichmann, releases video in support of German far-right party” The Washington Post 3.2.2018

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/02/03/ex-israeli-spymaster-who-helped-capture-adolf-eichmann-releases-video-in-support-of-german-far-right-party/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.457cdf9d87d2

USA and far-right Azov Battalion in Ukraine

USA has had military cooperation with radical groups particularly in the Middle East. However, the cooperation with far-right parties and militia groups, such as Azov Battalion, in Ukraine may have been one of the most controversial and it may also backfire handsomely.

The Azov Battalion, or Azov Regiment, is one of many privately-funded volunteer battalions that were formed during the crisis in Ukraine in 2014 (1). Far-right volunteers from different parts of the world joined Azov Battalion. Azov Battalion has benefited from the funding, weapons and training USA has provided for Ukrainian military groups. Azov has gradually developed into a far-right, neo-Nazi movement with street-patrolling militia and own youth camp (1, 2, 3, 4, 5). Because of the neo-Nazi element of the battalion, US Congressmen John Conyers and Ted Yoho drew up an amendment to House Defense Appropriations bill in 2015. The amendment “limits arms, training, and other assistance to the neo-Nazi Ukrainian militia, the Azov Battalion” and it was passed unanimously. However, US Department of Defense objected the amendment. The ban to give any kind of support or training to Azov Battalion finally came to force last year. (3, 4)

The Azov Movement and other similar far-right groups and parties have become increasingly severe problem in Ukraine. Their militia groups have been allowed to be some sort of part of law enforcement and they have attacked minority groups, often with impunity. There have also been attacks on anti-fascist groups, city council meetings, media outlets, art exhibitions, foreign students and women’s marches (1, 5).

The Azov Movement also wants to extend its cooperation with other far-right radical groups in Europe and North America. Olena Semenyaka, the international secretary for Azov’s political wing, the National Corps, says that Azov has gained popularity and become “small state in a state” in Ukraine. Semenyaka believes that in the current climate it is possible that far-right leaders can come to power in Europe and Azov wants to form coalitions and be in front of the far-right movement. There has also been more and more cooperation with American neo-Nazis and other right-wing extremists. According to FBI, Azov’s military wing is “believed to have participated in training and radicalizing United States-based white supremacy organizations.” (5)

References:

1) “Commentary: Ukraine’s neo-Nazi problem” Reuters 19.3.2018

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-cohen-ukraine-commentary/commentary-ukraines-neo-nazi-problem-idUSKBN1GV2TY

2) “Foreigners join far-right militias in Ukraine’s fight against rebels” The Irish Times 17.7.2014

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/foreigners-join-far-right-militias-in-ukraine-s-fight-against-rebels-1.1868779

3) “Congress Has Removed a Ban on Funding Neo-Nazis From Its Year-End Spending Bill” The Nation 14.1.2016

https://www.thenation.com/article/congress-has-removed-a-ban-on-funding-neo-nazis-from-its-year-end-spending-bill/

4) “Congress bans arms to Ukraine militia linked to neo-Nazis” The Hill 27.3.2018

https://thehill.com/policy/defense/380483-congress-bans-arms-to-controversial-ukrainian-militia-linked-to-neo-nazis

5) “Azov, Ukraine’s Most Prominent Ultranationalist Group, Sets Its Sights On U.S., Europe” Radio Free Europe 14.11.2018

https://www.rferl.org/a/azov-ukraine-s-most-prominent-ultranationalist-group-sets-its-sights-on-u-s-europe/29600564.html

From friend to foe – new American approach to Europe

Perhaps one of the most surprising changes during the Trump presidency has been the change in the attitude towards Europe and particularly the European Union. When asked to identify his biggest competitor or foe during an interview in July 2018, President Trump said:

“Well, I think we have a lot of foes. I think the European Union is a foe, what they do to us in trade. Now, you wouldn’t think of the European Union, but they’re a foe.” (1)

USA and particularly Republicans have increased their cooperation with European far-right and right-wing populist leaders. The former leader of British far-right party UKIP, “Mr. Brexit” Nigel Farage has had close ties particularly to President Trump and Steve Bannon (2). Farage is still campaigning for Brexit and according to him President Trump is a “believer in Brexit” (3, 4). In last year’s Conservative Political Action Conference CPAC, organized by American Conservative Union ACU, one of the guest speakers was Marion Maréchal-Le Pen, who describes herself to be “the political heir” of her grandfather Jean-Marie Le Pen, founder of the French far-right party National Front (5).

President Trump has appointed ambassadors who have caused controversy. The US ambassador to the Netherlands Pete Hoekstra has worked closely with some American anti-Muslim organizations and he has made several unsubstantiated anti-Muslim claims (6). The US ambassador to Germany Richard Grenell caused controversy already before his appointment because of his insulting and derogatory remarks about women. After becoming the ambassador Grenell gave an interview to far-right news outlet Breitbart and said that he wanted to “empower” anti-establishment right-wing forces throughout Europe (7, 8). Steve Bannon has been trying to start a “Trump-style populist insurgency” with his Brussels-based group The Movement. However, many European far-right parties or politicians haven’t been very keen to join his operation (9).

Italy’s far-right Interior Minister Matteo Salvini has joined Bannon’s group (9, 10). Salvini has also wanted to create “Italian-Polish axis” that could help to spark right-wing populist “European Spring” and replace the center-right “French-German axis” in Europe (11). Poland has become increasingly important ally of USA. President Trump has praised Poland and Polish people “for standing up for their independence, their security and their sovereignty.” The ruling Polish nationalists have wanted to strengthen the American-Polish alliance even more by requesting that USA would establish a permanent armored base, “Fort Trump”, in Poland. European diplomats have been worried that “hard-liners in the White House are using a willing Warsaw as a wedge to divide and weaken the EU, with which Trump has clashed over trade, climate change, defense spending, Middle East diplomacy and global governance” (12).

Reference:

1) “Donald Trump calls the EU ‘a foe’ ahead of Putin summit” Independent 15.7.2018

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/trump-calls-eu-foe-putin-summit-european-union-china-russia-a8448421.html

2) “Nigel Farage on the story behind his friendship with Trump” The New Yorker 30.11.2016

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/persons-of-interest/nigel-farage-on-the-story-behind-his-friendship-with-trump

3) “Nigel Farage: Trump supports Brexit because it will upend ‘global bureaucracy’” Breitbart 20.12.2018

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2018/12/20/nigel-farage-trump-supports-brexit-because-it-will-upend-global-bureaucracy/

4) “Nigel Farage joins Leave Means Leave campaign as Vice Chairman” Leave Means Leave

https://www.leavemeansleave.eu/nigel-farage-joins-leave-means-leave-campaign-vice-chairman/

5) “Trump’s GOP is morphing into France’s far right” The Washington Post 23.2.2018

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/worldviews/wp/2018/02/23/trumps-gop-is-morphing-into-frances-far-right/?noredirect=on&utm_term=.12446e5a9a6c

6) “New US ambassador to Netherlands regularly made unsubstantiated ‘no-go zones’ claims, speculated 15% of Muslims could be jihadists” CNN 9.1.2018

https://edition.cnn.com/2018/01/09/politics/kfile-pete-hoekstra-no-go-zones/index.html

7) “Senator weighs holding up Trump nominee over ‘insulting and derogatory’ tweets” The Daily Beast 12.7.2017

https://www.thedailybeast.com/senate-democrat-holding-up-trump-nominee-richard-grenell-over-insulting-and-derogatory-tweets?ref=scroll

8) “New US ambassador to Germany under fire for rightwing support” The Guardian 4.6.2018

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/04/new-us-ambassador-to-germany-under-fire-for-rightwing-support

9) “Steve Bannon’s far-right Europe operation undermined by election laws” The Guardian 21.11.2018

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/21/steve-bannons-rightwing-europe-operation-undermined-by-election-laws

10) “Italy’s Matteo Salvini joins Bannon’s European populist group” The Guardian 8.9.2018

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/08/italy-matteo-salvini-joins-steve-bannon-european-populist-group-movement

11) “Salvini calls for ‘Italian-Polish axis’ to replace Paris-Berlin” EurActiv 10.1.2019

https://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-elections-2019/news/salvini-calls-for-italian-polish-axis-to-replace-paris-berlin/

12) “Poland’s risky ‘America first’ policy” Politico 6.10.2018