The longstanding effort to keep extremist forces out of government in Europe is officially over.

For decades, political parties of all kinds joined forces to keep the hard-right far from the levers of power. Today, this strategy — known in France as a cordon sanitaire(or firewall) — is falling apart, as populist and nationalist parties grow in strength across the Continent.

Six EU countries — Italy, Finland, Slovakia, Hungary, Croatia and the Czech Republic — have hard-right parties in government. In Sweden, the survival of the executive relies on a confidence and supply agreement with the nationalist Sweden Democrats, the second-largest force in parliament. In the Netherlands, the anti-Islamic firebrand Geert Wilders is on the verge of power, having sealed a historic dealto form the most right-wing government in recent Dutch history.

Meanwhile, hard-right parties are dominating the polls across much of Europe. In France, far-right leader Marine Le Pen’s National Rally is cruising at over 30 percent, far ahead of President Emmanuel Macron’s Renaissance party, according to POLITICO’s Poll of Polls. Across the Rhine, Alternative for Germany, a party under police surveillance for its extremist views, is polling second, head-to-head with the Social Democrats.

    • Maestro@fedia.io
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      5 months ago

      I don’t know, but I am scared for the future. It’s also worrying how popular far right is under the youth. I worry about my little kids growing up …

    • WideEyedStupid@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      It’s looking bleak here, indeed. My Heimat is jerking off Wilders and here in Germany it’s the AfD, though luckily in BW they aren’t as popular as in other parts of Germany…

      Still, not really sure what to do about it. I vote, but it doesn’t seem to matter. Don’t know how to explain to people why they should care about others. It’s a good thing I have enough books and games and series to offer escapism, because otherwise I’d probably need to get some prescription medication.

    • DouchePalooza@lemmy.world
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      5 months ago

      Simple really - stop importing people from countries incompatible with western culture, like most muslim countries.

      Most of the discourse is around anti Islamic immigration so the people might be somewhat discontent with that…

          • Hugucinogens@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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            5 months ago

            Race and religion are absolutely just smoke and mirror scapegoats and panic-triggering red buttons, for the far-right.

            People vote far right because of strongman propaganda (Great Leader will solve it all!!!), combined with feelings of anger, frustration and powerlessness.

            Any country that keeps it’s people poor and/or let’s rich fucks get rich enough, will get a blooming field of far-right politicians, vying for the privilege of getting more power, to suck the rich people’s dicks better, and get richer themselves.

            • DouchePalooza@lemmy.world
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              5 months ago

              If the religion itself is discriminatory towards the tolerant, why should we be tolerant of them?

              • theprogressivist @lemmy.world
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                5 months ago

                Nice. Generalizing an entire group of people to fit your narrative. Can you say the same about Christians? You sure can, but again, you’d sound stupid because you’re generalizing.

                • DouchePalooza@lemmy.world
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                  5 months ago

                  I don’t think you can… In majorly Christian and atheist nations in Europe, there isn’t much prejudice against women and people from the LGBT group, unlike in the middle East.

                  I’m no fan of any religion but some have clearly stopped in the middle ages.

                  • Seleni@lemmy.world
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                    5 months ago

                    Hahahahahaha

                    Go to any place Christian nutters have ‘missionaried’ in over in Africa and you can see them with the masks off.

                    The only reason that sort of shit doesn’t openly happen in most of Europe anymore is it isn’t a popular idea with secular people, and religious leaders don’t have enough power to force it down people’s throats - yet.

            • unexpectedteapot@lemmy.ml
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              5 months ago

              I am a person from an Arab and Muslim country. This logic is insane and downright dangerous. You don’t know what you are getting yourself into. Read about it.

              • crapwittyname@lemm.ee
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                5 months ago

                I’m not “getting myself into” anything. I understand how logic works and what words mean. I read some words about how islamophobia is racism and they were logical. They were at least a hundred times more convincing than your comment. You are saying that the idea that islamophobia is racism is dangerous. That is an extremely bold claim. Would you like to explain that a little?

          • Thorry84@feddit.nl
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            5 months ago

            Just give in to the hate and give the fear mongers exactly what they want to make them stop must be the dumbest thing ever posted on Lemmy. Congrats!

          • Honytawk@lemmy.zip
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            5 months ago

            Also religion is not race.

            That is semantics. It doesn’t change anything about the point they were making since both race and religion are protected from discrimination.

      • katy ✨@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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        5 months ago

        white ppl have some nerve whining about “importing people from countries incompatible with culture” considering their history of colonisation

      • SuddenDownpour@sh.itjust.works
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        5 months ago

        There is no correlation between your area receiving immigration and people turning far right. Sometimes they do, sometimes they don’t, and sometimes they turn far right in some backwater town where no one wanted to move into anyway. Muslims are just a scapegoat that people too lazy to think about the root of their own problems are fast to attack.