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PREFACE BY JAN PHILIPP ALBRECHT
In the wake of the success of charismatic
right-wing populists such as Marine
Le Pen in France and Geert Wilders in
the Netherlands, there is once again a
heightened awareness of how extreme
right-wing parties in Europe are gaining
popularity amongst voters. Their influence
on governments and hence on the
key issues of European politics is growing.
Government heads such as Victor
Orban in Hungary are moving ever closer
to the right. Throughout Europe, rightwing
extremists and populists, including
MEP Marine Le Pen and the leader of
the Austrian FPÖ party, Heinz-Christian
Strache, are forming alliances. The photo
on the front of this brochure shows
both politicians at a press conference at
the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
When the next European Parliament
elections take place in 2014, many
MEPs and also many voters will be unaware
of the presence that right-wing extremists
already have in Europe. This is
also due to the way extreme right-wing
ideology is emerging under new guises.
The key players are increasingly aware
of the need to link up with like-minded
people in other countries and to respond
to the prevailing populist mood.
The image they display of being patriotic
fighters against “the high-ups in the
established parties and in Brussels” is
gaining in popularity as a result of the
continuing global crisis. The racist and
misanthropic undertones of their message
may seem to go unheard, but they
still permeate into people’s consciousness
and their discussions with others.
Following on from the comprehensive
brochure entitled “Strategien gegen Rechtsextremismus”
[Strategies to combat
right-wing extremism] which I published
in 2010, this brochure aims to shed light
on the right-wing extremists and populists
in the European Parliament and on
their parties within the countries of the
EU. Wide-ranging background information
will enable the people of Europe to
gain an idea of the overall situation. It
will also help those involved in the political
process in the European Union
and my colleagues in the various parliaments
and parties to better understand
the somewhat blurred spectrum of rightwing
extremism and to oppose racist
and nationalist tendencies.
I would like to thank all my team, and
particularly Tobias Peter, who has contributed
hugely to the success of this and
the previous brochure. This brochure is
of course a snapshot and is being published
at a time when Europe and its democracies
are in deep crisis. The fateful
elections in Greece in 2012 led to another
extreme right-wing party, Golden
Dawn, entering a parliament in Europe.
In view of the economic and social upheavals
in many EU Member States, it
cannot be assumed that we are again
in the clear as regards the success of
right-wing extremist and populist parties.
As a result, my efforts in opposing
right-wing extremism will continue to be
a focal point of my work over the coming
years. My team and I would be very
happy to learn of new developments
and receive additional information relating
to this brochure. Anybody wishing
to receive further information about our
work in the European Parliament can
send an e-mail to jan.albrecht@europarl.europa.eu.
I hope this brochure will provide you
with helpful insights and make some
contribution to creating a Europe free
of racism, misanthropy and nationalism.
Jan Philipp Albrecht, MEP
Member of the European Parliament
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