European Political Scene: The ten most radical and dangerous European politicians

Geert Wilders from the Netherlands also on the list

Populist politicians from European Union countries are grossly oversimplifying the complicated European economic situation and, by doing so, intensifying the euro crisis a little bit more each day.   They are playing with fire that could threaten the entire European project, says the German newspaper Der Spiegel.

They are also fueling, both directly and indirectly, stereotypes and resentments about purportedly lazy southern Europeans on the one hand and domineering Germans on the other. Their goal: To attract as many voters as they can for their own gain. All of this, of course, comes at the expense of a united Europe.

From Silvio Berlusconi to Marine Le Pen, some EU politicians “resort to cheap populism in order to rack up domestic political point”.

Alexis Tsipras, the leader of Greece’s Syriza party has been highlighted as the ‘most dangerous man in Europe’, for his efforts to pressure governments into abandoning austerity measures.

Also on the list is Markus Soder, the Bavarian finance minister, who said this week that “Athens must become an example demonstrating that this euro zone also has teeth,” and that “Greece should leave the euro zone by the end of the year.” Like Soder, Timo Soini, a Finnish MEP wants aid to Greece to stop.

Both the Italian Silvio Berlusconi, and the French Marine Le Pen,  among others, are listed for campaigning for returning to national currencies. Berlusconi-owned newspaper Il Giornale raised up a storm last week when they captioned a picture of Angel Merkel with “Fourth Reich”.

Le Pen, along with Heinz-Christian Strache, head of the Austrian Freedom Party, make the list partially because of their dangerous hyperbole. Le Pen stated recently that “the European Commission is in the final stages of creating a European Soviet Union,” while Strache noted that the “[ESM] will destroy not only our state, but also our democracy and constitution.”

Another populist to make the cut is Nigel Farage, the prolific leader of the UK’s Independence Party, who famously described Council president Herman Van Rompuy as having “the charisma of a damp rag”.

Calling Geert Wilders, head of the Dutch Freedom Party, “the role model for many populists”, the Spiegel suggests that he has been turning to anti-EU sentiment to gain ground in the polls. In a publicity stunt last year, he presented a large drachma note to the Greek embassy. Like Berlusconi and Le Pen, he is calling for a return of the national currency, the Dutch guilder.

Finishing up the hall of infamy is Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. He is alleged to have curbed democratic freedoms by imposing a restrictive media law and a new constitution, leading the European Commission to threaten to block subsidies. In response, some laws were modified, but Orbán claimed that “Hungary has prevailed”.

Cinzia Alcidi, a research fellow at the Brussels-based Center for European Policy Studies, said national politicians had an obligation not to inflame passions.  "I think there is a sort of division emerging between the creditors and the debtors," Alcidi said. "I think that this element should not be underestimated. I perceive this as the biggest threat to the European project, and the EU as a whole."

EU-Digest