In early May, the Federal office for the protection of the constitution(BFV), the national intelligence agency of Germany, classified the extreme right Alternative for Germany (AFD) as a “confirmed right” “confirmed” party. AFD now disputes this decision before the court. The BFV announced that it would not use the label of extremism as long as the court does not annoy. The classification as a right -wing ends rekindled a debate in Germany on the question of whether the AFD should be prohibited.
No other country in Europe considers such a ban on containing the ascendant to the far right. In some countries, in fact, similar parties are part of the government or, in some cases, even lead it.
DW examines where the far -right parties are in several European countries.
Party of Liberty of Austria
Chancellor Christian Store, from the Austrian Conservative Popular Party (ÖVP), does not consider Herbert Kickl‘s Party of Liberty of Austria (FPö) Extremmist on the right. The other political parties in Austria have not been committed to avoiding cooperation with the FPö. The ÖVP has already formed coalition governments with the FPö already, the first time in 2000. This was considered a scandal in the European Union at the time and, for a few months, other EU member states maintained their relations with the Austrian government at least.
The FPö is relatively young in the history of the Austrian Parliament. The party was founded in 1955 by a former Nazi official and then softened his point of view.
Like AFD, FPö criticizes immigration, globalization and the European Union. However, the FPö seems more willing to compromise and seems less ideological, perhaps because of the number of times it has been part of the government, including at the national level.
Last year, he won the legislative elections for the first time, collecting 28.8% of the vote. Nevertheless, he could not form a coalition government. In the meantime, however, it is even stronger in the ballot boxes than during the elections.
France: the National Rally (NR)
The National Rally has traveled a long way since its creation in 1972 by Jean-Marie Le Pen under the name of the National Front. When her daughter Marine Le Pen took the bar, she renamed the party and moved it – a little – to the center.
Although the party always criticizes immigration and Islam, it is no longer openly anti -Semitic. This approach helped him attract a new group of voters. Le Pen presented himself to the presidency three times, more recently, losing runoff, while succeeding in obtaining more votes each time.
Following a court decision for embezzlement of public funds, Marine Le Pen has recently been excluded to come to the elections for five years. The current polls show that if she or the party leader, Jordan Bardella, was to run again, they would have a good chance of at least the first round. During the legislative elections in 2024, the RN was the strongest party.
The penchant of RN for protectionism and stism – in other words: the belief that the State can solve major problems – contrasts strongly with AFD points of view. In any case, Le Pen moved away from AFD. The German party would be too radical for her, but that could be a national political strategy to appear more respectable.
Brothers of Italy
Giorgia meloni stands at the head of the Brothers of Italy party, which probably makes it the most successful far -right statesman in Europe. Many in the brothers of Italy have a positive vision of fascism, the Italian version of National Socialism. Giorgia Meloni once said that she had “a relationship without disorder with fascism” and that the former fascist chief of the government and the ally of Hitler Benito Mussolini was “a good politician”.
During the 2022 electoral campaign, which brought his party to power, his slogan was “God, the family and the fatherland”.
Meloni and his party campaign against abortions, LGTBQ + People And, of course against migrants.
Unlike many similar politicians in Europe, Meloni has taken a clear position against Russia War of Ukraine. This is the main reason why it spoke of “irreconcilable differences” with AFD. At the same time, Meloni has a close relationship with the American president Donald Trump And is therefore appreciated in Brussels as a transatlantic mediator.
Democrats in Sweden
The roots of Swedish Democrats are found in the right-end movement Bevara Sverige Svenskt (Sweden should remain Swedish). Shortly before the millennial turning point, the party tried to distance itself from its roots and adopted a more moderate position.
The head of the current party, Jimmie Akesson, continues this strategy and has managed to make Swedish democrats the second strongest party in the 2022 legislative elections. Since then, the party has supported the minority government of Prime Minister Ulf Hjalmar Kristerson.
As with far -right parties in other countries, the most important question for Swedish Democrats is immigration. The generalized crime of gangs in the major cities of Sweden has played a decisive role in the electoral success of Swedish Democrats. Although unusual for a game on the far right, the game declared its support for climate protection.
Netherlands: Party for Freedom (PVV)
Since the legislative elections in 2023, Geert Wilders“The Freedom Party was the strongest party in the Netherlands and heads a coalition government with three other parties. Because Wilders was too radical for the coalition partners, Dick Schoof, who has no party affiliation, has become Prime Minister. PVV is unique in that Wilders is the only member of the party; Even deputies and ministers are officially only party supporters. This means that Wilders can also determine the party’s program alone and name the candidates for the elections himself.
THE VVV priority is to combat irregular immigration And, above all, Islam. With its purpose of prohibiting the Koran and all the new buildings of the mosque, Wilders makes the question further than most. Before the recent elections, however, Wilders said he would put his point of view on Islam “in the freezer” in order to be able to govern. In addition, he campaigned against climate protection and the EU, which he considers intrusive.
British reform party
Reform UK underwent several transformations: after having broken the independence party of the United Kingdom, whose main objective was to withdraw the United Kingdom from the EU, it became the Brexit party. Once Brexit was carried out, the party renamed the British reform party. At each stage, the main figure was Nigel Farage, the spectrum of established British policy.
In the meantime, the party has resumed the cause of considerably reducing the number of immigrants – and using it to put pressure on the leading Labor Party as well as the Conservatives. Farage managed to accuse both parties of inaction.
Only a few days after Reform UK performed well in the regional elections, the Prime Minister of Labor Keir Starmer promised to considerably reduce the unauthorized migration and migration for work. According to the latest national surveys, Reform UK is just ahead of work and the conservatives. The deputy leader of the Richard Tice party calls the official British objective of “absurd” climate neutrality.
This article was initially written in German.
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