Far right election gains across Europe (1)
01 January 1991
Far right election gains across Europe
artdoc February=1992
Following on from the surge of neo-nazi violence that swept
across Europe during recent months (see Statewatch 5), far right
parties have seen a dramatic increase in support during
elections. In Belgium, the mainstream political parties suffered
humiliating losses as the Prime Minister, Wilfred Martens, handed
in his resignation following a General Election that has left the
country in what has been described as one of its greatest
political crises. It was an election that saw the Front National
win a seat in the national legislature representing the Brussels
region and the Vlams Blok gain another ten seats to bring their
total to twelve. The Vlams Blok, which was founded in 1978, was
not a significant political threat until 1986 when it won two
seats in the Belgian national parliament. In 1988, it had 23
councillors elected during the October municipal elections. The
VB's heartland is in Antwerp where it received 21% of the vote
in the June 1989 Euro-elections and its leader, Karel Dillen, was
elected to the European Parliament. The VB's history emerges
from the pre-war fascist movement in Belgium, which collaborated
with the country's nazi occupiers during the Second World War.
Its formation brought together several nationalist parties and
drew on a rigid tradition of Flemish nationalism. Today its
policies are those of racism and its main slogan is `Our own
people first.' While it is a legally constituted political party
the VB does have links with the violent Voorpost (Vanguard)
organisation and its members have been involved in violent
attacks on political opponents. Indeed, one of their candidates
in Antwerp, Xavier Buiseret, is currently facing charges of
beating up an immigrant with a baseball bat. In Austria the
Freiheitliche Parti Osterreichs (FPO), or Freedom Party, has
established itself as the second largest party in the Vienna city
government, gaining 23% of the vote. The FPO, which is led by the
openly fascist Jorge Haider, conducted an alarmist campaign
around the slogan `Vienna for the Viennese' and warning that the
Austrian capital would be overrun by immigrants. Haider himself
is no stranger to controversy and recently spoke with admiration
of Hitler's employment policies. The vote was the third
successful surge by the FPO this autumn.
And in Italy the Lombard League, who won nearly 20% of the vote
in local elections in Lombardy last year, received 24% of the
vote in the local elections in Brescia to topple the Christian
Democrats who have ruled it since the Second World War.
Independent 11.11.91, 23.11.91, 27.11.91; Guardian 25.11.91,
26.11.91;
Statewatch, Volume 2 no 1, January/February 1992
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