The introductory chapter in Anne Applebaum’s book Twilight of Democracy describes a new year’s party Applebaum and her husband organised in 1999. It took place in their house in the Polish countryside and gathered many of the country’s leading liberals and conservatives. The spirits were high, the future was bright—a highway towards freedom and open markets.
Two decades later, that dream has shrivelled like a dried apple. Poland is ruled by the right-wing nationalists of the Law and Justice Party and liberals of the Applebaum brand are their anathema. Half of the friends at the 1999 party no longer talk to her or her husband. The book is a melancholic ode to a lost world and an attempt to understand what happened to it.
Read more at:
The rise of right-wing nationalism: from Poland to Polanyi – Karin Pettersson
Showing posts with label Right Wing. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Right Wing. Show all posts
11/16/20
10/17/20
The Netherlands: Coronavirus leads to increased risk of extremist attack in the Netherlands - by Victoria Séveno
The Dutch counter-terrorism unit (NCTV) has warned in its quarterly
threat assessment that, while there is no indication that an attack is
imminent, there is nonetheless an increased risk of attack in the Netherlands from radicalised right-wing extremists.
Read more:
NCTV: Coronavirus leads to increased risk of extremist attack in the Netherlands
Read more:
NCTV: Coronavirus leads to increased risk of extremist attack in the Netherlands
9/26/20
USA: Riots and Tensions Rise: Dozens in body armour arrive in Portland, Ore., for far-right rally as tensions escalate in U.S. | CBC News
Dozens of people wearing militarized body armour are arriving early for a far-right rally on Saturday in Portland, Ore., that is expected to attract thousands who support U.S. President Donald Trump and his "law and order" re-election campaign.
The rally is taking place as tensions boil over nationwide following the decision not to charge police officers in Louisville, Ky., for killing Breonna Taylor.
Two hours before the event was to start, dozens of people began showing up, some packed into the beds of pickup trucks. Almost everyone was wearing some sort of militarized body armour, including helmets and protective vests. Many flew American flags or black flags bearing the logo of the Three Percenters, another far-right group, and some wore Make America Great Again hats.
Read more at: Dozens in body armour arrive in Portland, Ore., for far-right rally as tensions escalate in U.S. | CBC News
8/12/20
European right politics thwarts the welfare state - by Muratcan Isildak
In the last quarter of the last century, the social state phenomenon
in Europe was developing when the left leaders were in power. Starting
from the end of the century, the burden brought by the welfare state
began to restrict it, starting from Germany. Right-wing governments that
came one after another in Europe almost competed with each other in
narrowing the social state phenomenon.
Leaders in Europe at the end of the century such as Olof Palme, Willy Brandt, Francois Mitterrand, Papandreou paid attention to the social state phenomenon.
In 1999, the Schröder-Fischer duo in Germany, social democrats and green people started to implement a policy to bring the market to life. They brought aid money to the unemployed, aiming to expand employment. Employment increased with the project named Hartz IV. Thereupon, they started policies that cut social spending.
European right politics thwarts the welfare state - Modern Diplomacy
Leaders in Europe at the end of the century such as Olof Palme, Willy Brandt, Francois Mitterrand, Papandreou paid attention to the social state phenomenon.
In 1999, the Schröder-Fischer duo in Germany, social democrats and green people started to implement a policy to bring the market to life. They brought aid money to the unemployed, aiming to expand employment. Employment increased with the project named Hartz IV. Thereupon, they started policies that cut social spending.
European right politics thwarts the welfare state - Modern Diplomacy
3/27/20
Russia-US Relations: Taibbi on Russiagate and the Effort to Derail Sanders Campaign
The latest act in the comedy began just before voting opened in the Nevada Democratic caucus. The Washington Post ran a story — sourced, I’m not joking, to “people familiar with the matter” — explaining that Bernie Sanders had been briefed that “Russia is attempting to help his presidential campaign as part of an effort to interfere with the Democratic contest.”
Intelligence officials and pundits have been screeching for years that patriotism demands voters reject the foreign agent Donald Trump and the Russian asset Bernie Sanders, and support a conventional establishment politician. Voters responded by moving toward Trump in national approval surveys and speeding Sanders to the top of the Democratic Party ticket. A more thorough disavowal of official propaganda would be difficult to imagine.
But the biggest red flag of all was the way in which “Russia” over the past few years became shorthand to describe any brand of political deviance. I wrote this two years ago:
Note EU-Digest: "The problem is not Rusia and Putin, the problem is that the US political system has become twisted in their thinking and always puts the blame on a foreign politician they can use as a whipping boy".
Read more on: Taibbi on Russiagate and the Effort to Derail Sanders Campaign - Rolling Stone
Intelligence officials and pundits have been screeching for years that patriotism demands voters reject the foreign agent Donald Trump and the Russian asset Bernie Sanders, and support a conventional establishment politician. Voters responded by moving toward Trump in national approval surveys and speeding Sanders to the top of the Democratic Party ticket. A more thorough disavowal of official propaganda would be difficult to imagine.
But the biggest red flag of all was the way in which “Russia” over the past few years became shorthand to describe any brand of political deviance. I wrote this two years ago:
“Since Trump’s election, we’ve been told Putin was all or partly behind the lot of it: the Catalan independence movement, the Sanders campaign, Brexit, Jill Stein’s Green Party run, Black Lives Matter, the resignations of intraparty Trump critics Bob Corker and Jeff Flake …
”
Unnamed “officials” have since added the Corbyn movement in England, the gilets jaunes, protesters in Chile, Bolivia, Ecuador, and Colombia, militias in Africa, pro-government disinformation campaigns in Hong Kong, the presidential campaign of Tulsi Gabbard, and countless other undesirables to what has amounted to an ongoing, cumulative blacklist.Note EU-Digest: "The problem is not Rusia and Putin, the problem is that the US political system has become twisted in their thinking and always puts the blame on a foreign politician they can use as a whipping boy".
Read more on: Taibbi on Russiagate and the Effort to Derail Sanders Campaign - Rolling Stone
3/28/19
The Netherlands: Will the Netherlands’ Rising Far-Right Star Survive the Scrutiny of Success? - by Frida Ghitis
 |
| Will Thierry Baudet, Far-Right Populist eventually survive? |
The victory by Baudet’s Forum for Democracy party, or FvD, however, is not proof that the Netherlands has taken a sharp rightward turn. The parliament is highly fragmented, and the political landscape is in flux, but the Netherlands remains a nation characterized by compromise. The question going forward is whether Baudet will manage to persuade more Dutch voters to follow him to the right, or whether his new celebrity status will make them look more closely at his views and turn away after discovering they do not share them.
After his party jumped from just two seats to 13, Baudet declared in his victory speech, “We stand here in the rubble of what was once the most beautiful civilization,” adding, “Minerva’s owl spreads its wings at dusk.” An allusion to imagery used by the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, the term promptly started trending on social media in the Netherlands. To some, it was another preposterous display by the 36-year-old former academic, who has accused the government led by Rutte’s center-right Freedom and Democracy party, or VVD, of allowing “people with cultures completely different from ours” to enter the country. To others, it was a sign of a renewed nationalist push in a struggling European Union.
To be sure, Baudet scored an impressive victory. But a significant portion of his support came from former backers of another populist figure, Geert Wilders, who saw his Party for Freedom drop from nine to five seats in the upper house.
Rutte’s VVD lost just one seat, for a second-place finish, but his four-party coalition, which had only a thin majority in the Senate, lost seven. The other big winner was the Green Left party, which jumped from four to nine seats. Rutte retains a majority in the lower house and, with it, the prime minister’s office. But it is clear that Dutch politics is changing and becoming far more fragmented. The new upper house will comprise a record number of political parties, diminishing the power of the traditional political formations.
Baudet’s support was notably weak in some major cities, which remain bastions of the tolerance for which the Dutch are known. In Amsterdam, Baudet’s FvD finished in an embarrassing sixth place, behind the animal rights formation, Party for the Animals. The Green Left remains the largest there.
One reason for Baudet’s surprise win was the way he brazenly leveraged a deadly attack in the city of Utrecht two days before the elections. The attack by a Turkish-born man who killed three people is being investigated by police as a possible act of terrorism. Other parties suspended campaigning, but Baudet saw an opportunity to make his case. Without conclusive information on the motive for the shootings, Baudet immediately blamed the government’s immigration policies. His FvD did not fare well in Utrecht, interestingly, but it finished first in Rotterdam, a city with a large Muslim population.
Read more at: Will the Netherlands’ Rising Far-Right Star Survive the Scrutiny of Success?
3/19/19
Brazil - US relations: Two right winger Presidents bonding in Washington
Trump bonds with Brazil's Bolsonaro in White House visit U.S. President Donald Trump and Brazil’s new far-right leader Jair Bolsonaro forged a bond over their shared brand of conservative and populist politics on Tuesday, with Trump pledging to give more U.S. support to Brazil’s global ambitions.
3/17/19
Brazil - US relations: Brazil's t Right - Wing Presiden Jair Bolsonaro arrives in US for meetings with his US counterpart
Brazil’s Bolsonaro heads to US to strengthen economic and military cooperation On his first visit, Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro arrived in Washington on Sunday to meet with his American counterpart Donald Trump to strengthen military and economic ties and to seek for a “major non NATO ally” status upgrade.
12/5/18
France: Macron’s crisis in France is a danger to all of Europe - Natalie Nougayrède
For Europe’s sake, Emmanuel Macron needs help – not our scorn or hatred. A young, reformist French president who promised a “European renaissance” finds himself struggling at the helm of a country that is fast becoming “the sick man of Europe” again. It was a telling moment last weekend when rioters disfigured the face of a statue of Marianne, the republic’s symbol, at the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Just three weeks earlier, world leaders had gathered there with Macron for the centenary of the Armistice. If the “sad passions” that Macron has warned of many times take hold in France, an entire continent will be affected – not just one man’s political career.
Extreme forces across Europe are busily rejoicing over Macron’s gilets jaunes predicament. From Britain’s hardline Brexiters (both left and right) to Italy’s far-right strongman Matteo Salvini, not to mention Putin’s propaganda outlets, the relish is unmistakable. Upheaval and chaos in liberal democracies is what they thrive on. The prize the extremists seek is a political takeover of Europe in next May’s European parliament elections. Events in France are ominous, and their significance extends far beyond one country’s borders.
Not long ago, Macron proudly branded himself as the arch enemy of Salvini and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, two leaders whose trademark policies target migrants, political opponents and the rule of law. Macron is weakened, on the defensive, and ever more isolated.
Scenes in France these past two weeks may seem, to some, like a revival of the May 1968 uprising, but a more pertinent parallel may be 6 February 1934. That day, gangs of far-right nationalists marched on the French capital and clashed with the police in violence that left 15 dead. The events of the day served as a founding myth for that generation of France’s far right.
Read more: Macron’s crisis in France is a danger to all of Europe | Natalie Nougayrède | Opinion | The Guardian
Extreme forces across Europe are busily rejoicing over Macron’s gilets jaunes predicament. From Britain’s hardline Brexiters (both left and right) to Italy’s far-right strongman Matteo Salvini, not to mention Putin’s propaganda outlets, the relish is unmistakable. Upheaval and chaos in liberal democracies is what they thrive on. The prize the extremists seek is a political takeover of Europe in next May’s European parliament elections. Events in France are ominous, and their significance extends far beyond one country’s borders.
Not long ago, Macron proudly branded himself as the arch enemy of Salvini and Hungary’s Viktor Orbán, two leaders whose trademark policies target migrants, political opponents and the rule of law. Macron is weakened, on the defensive, and ever more isolated.
Scenes in France these past two weeks may seem, to some, like a revival of the May 1968 uprising, but a more pertinent parallel may be 6 February 1934. That day, gangs of far-right nationalists marched on the French capital and clashed with the police in violence that left 15 dead. The events of the day served as a founding myth for that generation of France’s far right.
Read more: Macron’s crisis in France is a danger to all of Europe | Natalie Nougayrède | Opinion | The Guardian
11/15/18
Brazil-EU Relations: As Brazil moves right, what is left for Europe in Latin America? – by Gustavo Müller
The election of Jair Bolsonaro as Brazilian president continues the
regional trend in Latin America that has seen the rise of a variety of
right-wing governments. As the world’s 4th largest democracy turns to
the extreme right, the European Union will be forced to review its
foreign policy towards Latin America.
Notably, it will have to adapt to the weakening of the region’s cooperative projects and organisations. If the polarising discourse of Bolsonaro and its campaign team shapes Brazilian foreign and domestic policies over the next four years, the EU should expect a growing gap regarding interests and values between both regions.
The EU’s multi-layered foreign policy towards Latin America has been laid out in its 2016 Global Strategy which emphasises region-to-region relations with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) – a consensus-based intergovernmental organisation of 33 sovereign members – as its counterpart.
The Global Strategy also mentions an approach that builds on “competitive advantages” of various regional groupings, including the current negotiations of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, as well as an open relationship with Cuba and support for the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia.
Read more: As Brazil moves right, what is left for Europe in Latin America? – EURACTIV.com
Notably, it will have to adapt to the weakening of the region’s cooperative projects and organisations. If the polarising discourse of Bolsonaro and its campaign team shapes Brazilian foreign and domestic policies over the next four years, the EU should expect a growing gap regarding interests and values between both regions.
The EU’s multi-layered foreign policy towards Latin America has been laid out in its 2016 Global Strategy which emphasises region-to-region relations with the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) – a consensus-based intergovernmental organisation of 33 sovereign members – as its counterpart.
The Global Strategy also mentions an approach that builds on “competitive advantages” of various regional groupings, including the current negotiations of the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement, as well as an open relationship with Cuba and support for the implementation of the peace agreement in Colombia.
Read more: As Brazil moves right, what is left for Europe in Latin America? – EURACTIV.com
10/31/18
Migrants - perception and where Donald Trump and other Right-Wing populists get it wrong
Via euronews: What populists get wrong about migrants and terrorism |
8/27/18
EUROPEAN UNITY UNDER ATTACK: FAR RIGHT PLAYERS TEARING EUROPE APART
For the complete report click on link below;
7/24/18
11/23/17
The Netherlands: Trump Fan, Opportunist, Rightwing, Dutch Populist Politician Wilders says: "Russia is 'no enemy', ahead of Moscow visit - by Peter Teffer
 |
| Opportunist and Populist Dutch Politician Geert Wilders |
The far-right opposition MP, who leads the second-largest party in the lower house of the Dutch parliament, said there was "hysterical Russophobia" to which he wanted to provide a counter-narrative.
"Russia is not our enemy, and we should not make it one," he told Dutch weekly magazine Elsevier. "Russia is on our side."
Wilders said it was understandable that Russia feels threatened by the expansion of the northern Atlantic alliance Nato.
"I'm a big fan of Nato and of the Americans, but Russia has a good point here," he said.
The interview comes ahead of a visit early next year of Wilders to Moscow, which has been behind several attempts to undermine the EU and is under sanctions because of the invasion of Crimea and support for insurgents in Ukraine.
EU-Digest
8/26/17
USA: 'A middle finger to America': What people are saying about Trump's first presidential pardon
President Donald Trump’s pardon of former Maricopa C0unty, Arizona, sheriff Joe Arpaio received some mixed reactions on Friday night, but lawmakers and civil-rights advocates largely condemned the move.
Arpaio, a staunch Trump supporter and compatriot in Trump’s yearslong and fruitless quest to disprove President Barack Obama’s citizenship, was found guilty last month of criminal contempt for violating the terms of a 2011 court order in a racial profiling case.
Here’s what other people are saying about Trump’s pardon of Arpaio:
Sen. John McCain of Arizona: Trump “undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law” with the Arpaio pardon.
Trump’s “pardon of fellow birther Arpaio makes mockery of rule of law, & says communities of color can be targeted & abused w/ total impunity,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Twitter.
Read more: 'A middle finger to America': What people are saying about Trump's first presidential pardon
Arpaio, a staunch Trump supporter and compatriot in Trump’s yearslong and fruitless quest to disprove President Barack Obama’s citizenship, was found guilty last month of criminal contempt for violating the terms of a 2011 court order in a racial profiling case.
Here’s what other people are saying about Trump’s pardon of Arpaio:
Sen. John McCain of Arizona: Trump “undermines his claim for the respect of rule of law” with the Arpaio pardon.
Trump’s “pardon of fellow birther Arpaio makes mockery of rule of law, & says communities of color can be targeted & abused w/ total impunity,” said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Twitter.
Read more: 'A middle finger to America': What people are saying about Trump's first presidential pardon
7/4/17
France: Emmanuel Macron: Man charged with plotting to kill French president
A suspected far-right extremist has
been charged with plotting to kill French President Emmanuel Macron at
the Bastille Day parade later this month.
He also said he wanted to attack minorities, a judicial source told AFP.
Mr Macron has been giving a state-of-the-nation-style address in Versailles.
Read more: Emmanuel Macron: Man charged with plotting to kill French president - BBC News
4/20/17
France: The Big Debate: Macron tells Le Pen 'you tell the same lies your father did' - by Alexander J Martin
Emmanuel Macron and Marine Le Pen, the two leading candidates for
the French presidential election, clashed in a fiery exchange during a recent debate with the liberal maverick telling the far right
candidate she was telling lies to the French people.
All 11 candidates in France's presidential election, from frontrunners Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron down to the minnows, took part in a giant TV debate recently seeking to swing undecided voters.
Whilst discussing Europe, Macron took aim at Le Pen:
"Europe allows protection," said Macron. "What you are proposing Madame Le Pen is a drop in spending power [for French workers]. That would mean economic war.
"What you are proposing is nationalism and that means war," he told Le Pen, who rolled her eyes and bellowed a stern "oh lo lo".
He then told the far right candidate that "she was coming out with the same lies that came from the mouth of her father 40 years ago."
EU-Digestl
All 11 candidates in France's presidential election, from frontrunners Marine Le Pen and Emmanuel Macron down to the minnows, took part in a giant TV debate recently seeking to swing undecided voters.
Whilst discussing Europe, Macron took aim at Le Pen:
"Europe allows protection," said Macron. "What you are proposing Madame Le Pen is a drop in spending power [for French workers]. That would mean economic war.
"What you are proposing is nationalism and that means war," he told Le Pen, who rolled her eyes and bellowed a stern "oh lo lo".
He then told the far right candidate that "she was coming out with the same lies that came from the mouth of her father 40 years ago."
EU-Digestl
2/16/17
The Netherlands: The "Dutch Trump" Geert Wilders PVV party losing support in the polls
 |
| Trump and Wilders "one and the same" - disaster |
Researchers see several reasons why voters in the Netherlands are turning their back on the PVV, according to the Dutch newspaper AD. Some people are concerned about American president Donald Trump's policies, for which Wilders expressed great support and he even went to the US to support him .
"Trump has turned out to be a completely deranged person and so is his Dutch supporter Geert Wilders - they are very similar and voting for him makes no sense at all. It will only cause disaster and chaos in the Netherlands", said a member of the Dutch Parliament, who wanted to remain anonymous
Others doubt the feasibility of the PVV's plans or have their doubts about whether the PVV will be part of the next government, given that very few other Dutch political parties want to work with him
EU-Digest
1/19/17
EU Politics - the Netherlands: Geert Wilders - the Dutch Donald Trump?
In March of this year, the Netherlands will be heading to the voting booth and at the
moment a far-right anti-immigrant politician is leading in the polls.
He is strongly against Islam holding sway in European society, and he's
been nicknamed the 'Dutch Donald Trump.' Lauren Frayer traveled to the
Netherlands to meet Geert Wilders and find out more.
Read more: Inside Europe: Geert Wilders - the Dutch Donald Trump? | All media content | DW.COM |19.01.2017
Read more: Inside Europe: Geert Wilders - the Dutch Donald Trump? | All media content | DW.COM |19.01.2017
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