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EU far right aims anti-'Islamization' coalition
Europe's far right parties are considering the creation of a pan-European far-right movement, which would be the first such extreme hardliner coalition covering EU territory. Filip Dewinter, the leader of the Belgian Flemish extreme right-wing party, told Austrian media yesterday that they were considering creating an extreme right grouping in the EU legislative body, the European Parliament. Last month, Vlaams Blok officially changed its name to "Vlaams Belang" (Flemish Interest) in response to a court ruling that found the party had violated Belgium's anti-racism laws. The Belgian Supreme Court confirmed a lower court's ruling that the Vlaams Blok was a racist organization under Belgian law, cutting off the party's access to state funding and television airtime, and effectively shutting down the extremist group. The planned European-level coalition would include Austria's Freedom Party, Italy's Lega Nord, France's National Front, the Dutch New Right Party, and Dewinter's own Vlaams Belang. Dewinter said forces should now be joined to combat the "Islamization of Europe". All these parties are known for their anti-immigration stances in their home countries, while the Belgian right-wing party is also known for its radical xenophobic platform and a separatist campaign for independence in the northern region of Flanders. Dewinter said he was considering Jörg Haider, leader of Austria's Freedom Party, to head the new movement, which they hope to form in time for EU elections in 2009. "I've had several talks with Jörg Haider and have the feeling that he's interested in this cooperation. I'm proposing to Jörg Haider that he be the top candidate of our movement," Dewinter told the Vienna weekly News magazine. Haider became a well known personality in Europe five years ago, when his party joined the center-right government. Other European countries responded by slapping sanctions on Austria. One of the key figures from Haider's party, Andreas Mölzer, met in Antwerp last week with like-minded figures from Belgium, the Netherlands, France, and Italy. Mölzer, an early strategist behind Haider's rise to power in Austria, is now a member of parliament representing the Freedom Party.
Posted by: Steve 2004-12-10 |
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| http://www.rantburg.com/poparticle.php?ID=50945 |