At the last presidential elections in France and Greece neo-Nazi right-wing parties showed impressive parliamentary results. Europeans remember the events that occurred 80 years ago, when in the wake of the economic crisis Hitler came to power in Germany, and wonder how the neo-Nazism were able to return to the tolerant Europe.
Within several years, radical right-wing parties have made a stunning leap forward, and they can no longer be ignored in France, Finland, Hungary, Austria, and now in Greece, where at Sunday's parliamentary elections the Nazi party "Golden Dawn" obtained seven percent of the vote, and will form its own parliamentary group with 20 seats.
"We're coming. It's time for the traitors to be afraid," said after the elections party leader Nicos Mihaloliakos nicknamed "Hitler." "Golden Dawn", whose symbol resembles a swastika, explains that, in addition to inept corrupt politicians, Greek politics is impeded by "human scum" represented by immigrants who come into the country in large numbers."
"They take our jobs. If we get the power, we will deport them back at once and close the borders, we will install mines along them, put electric fences and more guards," said Panayotaros Elias, a spokesman of the party, in a recent interview. Until recently, the "Golden Dawn" had minimal electoral support, but in 2010 at the municipal council elections in some districts of Athens they gained up to 20 percent of the vote.
As for the impressive success of the extreme right "National Front" in France, its leader Marine Le Pen (18 percent in the first round of the presidential elections) believes that the elected president Francois Hollande will quickly disappoint France with his policy that will not be much different from the policy of Sarkozy, and called for a "real opposition that would not be a reflection or copy of the current authorities."
Interestingly, the French media directly calls the party neo-Nazi for racism, anti-Semitism and xenophobia. Suffice it to say that Le Pen has organized a ball on the day of the 67th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz concentration camp, where six million Jews were destroyed.
Nazism is moving forward. In the Netherlands two weeks ago anti-Muslim Freedom Party of Gerdt Wilders demonstrated its power. It left the government coalition and deprived Angela Merkel of an ally represented by Prime Minister Rutte. "Islam is incompatible with freedom and democracy, because it tends to Sharia. Islamization of Europe means Europe without freedom and democracy, economic dustbin, intellectual obscurantism," Wilders said during a visit to the United States.
The list goes on. In the UK the United Kingdom Independence Party - "a bunch of crazies and racists," according to Prime Minister David Cameron, at the local elections last Thursday gained an average of 14 percent. In Finland, the extremely nationalist party "True Finns" in four years increased its share of votes in the parliament from four to 19 percent. In Hungary, where the Nazis were concerned about the solution of the Gypsy and Jewish issue, anti-Semitic party "Jobbik" in the parliamentary elections in 2010 successfully passed the five-percent threshold, and is one of the fastest growing parties in Europe.
The Europeans are hoping that the Nazis will never help each other because of the prevalence of the national idea. They are wrong or are simply comforting their citizens. In October of 2009 "Jobbik" party initiated the creation of the Alliance of European national movements - the union of the right-wing parties, including the French National Front and British National Party.
Western politicians got caught in a trap they have set themselves. How else would you interpret the actions of President Sarkozy when he abolished the referendum in Greece that aimed to discuss the adoption of European aid? Why would he defend the views of the Greeks, if he had to protect the interests of banks and large businesses? Why would he not protect them if the money from pension funds there spilled over there?
Chancellor Merkel has consistently defended the interests of Germany and not the EU, but her center-right coalition has recently lost in Schleswig-Holstein. The red-green alliance has won there. This is an alarming sign for Merkel. The reason for the loss of the positions of power is obvious - a program of austerity that is not liked even by the Germans.
In addition to the economic crisis, the important role was played by romanticizing, even glorification of Nazism and ethical indifference to its propaganda. Suffice it to say that after the attacks of Breivik the Nazi group British Defense League mentioned by Breivik recruited into its ranks over ten thousand young people. The generation that does not remember what the Nazis have done to the world sees it as a force capable of coping with the excessive liberalism that allowed immigrants to dictate terms. Given the recent popularity of the fascist dictator Franco in Spain and Salazar in Portugal it is clear that the story is to be continued.
The evidence suggests that in Europe austerity strategy is not working and will not work, it is quickly turning into a social and political catastrophe. In place of irresponsible politicians come those who will solve the problem of employment. But at what cost? They will terminate the Treaty of Lisbon, refuse to pay debts, restore rigid vertical of power, introduce labor conscription, shake the oligarchs and impose tax on retirement.
Interestingly, even the Americans are worried. The American media is talking about the similarity of the situations. President Obama is implementing the program "The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act." However, this is a pale semblance of Roosevelt's New Deal in response to the depression of 1930's that incidentally also began in Europe.
No president since the World War II was reelected with the unemployment rate of over 7.2 percent, and now it is around eight percent, with many millions of people working part-time. Obama started the unpopular health care reform, the budget is maintained through printing new money, so it can be said that the country emerged from the recession only technicallyю
Hence the mass protests "Occupy...", the Republican victory in the midterm elections, and strengthening of the populist Tea Party Movement accused of racism. The U.S., too, is facing more extreme political climate. American politicians do not have to look back 80 years to learn the lessons of history - they just have to look overseas - at Europe.
Lyuba Lulko
Pravda.Ru