Rise of Fascism in Europe & Golden Dawn

[Anarcho-Brocialist]

France: The National Front, led by Marine Le Pen, won nearly 18 per cent of the vote in April's first round of presidential elections. The party is eyeing seats in June parliamentary elections.
Greece: Golden Dawn is the chief right-wing movement in the country, an openly neo-Nazi party that is one of Europe's most extreme. Could take a dozen seats in May 6 parliamentary election.
The Netherlands: The Freedom Party, led by Geert Wilders, is the third-largest in parliament - and brought down the minority government by withdrawing support.
Austria: The Freedom Party, having 34 of the 183 seats in parliament, is the second-strongest party in opinion polls.
England: British National Party has a policy that restricts membership to 'indigenous British people'. Ten local councillors, a fall from 50 in 2008.
Germany: The NPD has two of 16 state legislators but no seats in national parliament. Support base in former Communist east German states, where unemployment and discontent is high.
Norway: The Progress Party holds 41 of 169 seats in parliament and is Norway's biggest opposition party. More moderate than many European counterparts.
Denmark: The Danish People's Party is the nation's third largest political organisation, and has pushed Denmark to adopt some of Europe's strictest immigration laws.
Sweden: The Sweden Democrats entered parliament in 2010 with 19 of 349 seats, but has had no major impact on legislation.
Finland: The Finns party won 19 per cent of parliamentary election votes in 2011 - up from four per cent four years earlier.
Hungary: Jobbik won nearly 17 per cent of the 2010 vote, and is one of two leading opposition parties.The conservative Fidesz party of Prime Minister Viktor Orban has passed laws restricting civil rights and basic freedoms that go against the country's EU membership.

Golden Dawn -- The party wants land mines placed on the Greek-Turkish border to stop illegal immigrants entering the country, organizing security patrols in immigrant-heavy neighborhoods.


“I’m voting for Golden Dawn because I want all the immigrants to leave,” Maria Papageorgiou, 52, said in an interview in the Athens neighborhood where she has lived all her life. “There’s a high crime rate, it’s a miserable situation. They should leave and go back to their countries. Or maybe the Germans can take them.”

As I see the rise of fascism, I worry for the minorities across Europe. HOW CAN WE STOP THIS!?!? What is the left doing to combat this?

[Jesus Saves Gretzky Scores]

Interesting. I don't live in Europe, but wouldn't mass protesting be one of the best ways? I can't think of that many solutions for leftists.

[Krano]

Only thing these boneheads understand is violence, that is how you stop fascism.

[Railyon]

Interesting. I don't live in Europe, but wouldn't mass protesting be one of the best ways? I can't think of that many solutions for leftists.

Where I live we had "mass protest" popular fronts against the NPD.

They don't give a fuck, to be blunt.

[Krano]

It should be noted that not all of these groups are a threat, for example The Finns aka True Finns leadership was bashed after the elections and lost pretty much all credibility. Some of the party members got fined and thrown in jail for ignorant racist comments.

[Permanent Revolutionary]

The Danish People's Part is not an "overt" threat, but it does have connections with the Danish Neo-Nazi Party

[Sperm-Doll Setsuna]

The Danish People's Part is not an "overt" threat, but it does have connections with the Danish Neo-Nazi Party

I'd say it is quite serious still; parties like them, and the somewhat similar scum of Wilders party and such, are legitimising their political platforms and managing to somewhat enact their policies.

[Omsk]

The utterly digusting religious Fascism is on the rise here.

[ВАЛТЕР]

Fascists are on the rise all throughout Eastern Europe especially, Slavic nations which suffered terribly at the hands of the Nazis now have neo-nazi hooligans running around in the streets. It breaks my heart considering how many of my family members suffered at the hands of the nazis.

It is in my opinion that a far more aggressive and militant stance than anything Antifa has to offer needs to be taken to counter these fascists. We need to be in the streets in a far more concentrated and aggressive effort to break the backs of the neo-nazis both figuratively and literally if need be.

[TheRedAnarchist23]

Here in Portugal only few old people and even fewer young people want dictatorship back, the big majority is against this, and against this government, 40% of the population didn't vote in the elections, therefore ,democraticaly, there should be no government in Portugal.

I am prety sure anarchism is rising in Portugal, I have seen many anarchist symbols show up in the street, my generation is learning that government is good for nothing and only serves to empoverish people. The communism the people here know is leninism/stalinism, (when I told my father about anarchist communism he said those were not compatible because communism is authoritarian) when I teach people anarchism they instantly become interested, but if I say communism they want nothing to do with me, they feel like communism is not the answer, that is one of the reasons anarchism (in my generation) is rising.

[Jimmie Higgins]

This is social polarization. The center is loosing credibility and so this opens up possibilities for the far-right and far-left. And we haven't seen anything yet.

So while people are right to be concerned by the legitimacy and gains of the far-right (and of course the actual street-violence and attacks on Roma, Eastern Europeans (in Northern Europe), Arabs and North Africans) I wouldn't say this is "fascism on the march" - it's just polarization like most of us haven't seen in our own locations in our lifetimes.

Like I said, I think it will get sharper, so what we need to do is organize our side now so that we can be in a better position to resist and and oppose the far-right both on the streets and in the public dialogue and politics and also when Tahrir-like uprisings happen in our own locations our class will be more organized and able to put forward independent working class demands.

[Left Leanings]

In the UK, the main far-right party is the British National Party (BNP).

In the early 1990s, its members numbered perhaps 800 at most, and these were mainly bonehead boot boys. Since then, it has attempted to gain 'electoral respectability'. It has an MEP (Nick Griffin, also the BNP leader), no members in the British Parliament, and did have some councillors in local government. However, its support has come crashing down in recent times. There are internal feuds, and most (if not all) of the local councillors, lost their seats in the local elections on May 3 this week.

Additionally, there are several other political parties, most notably the National Front, and the avowedly neo-nazi, the British Peoples Party. But these are very, very small, and really only empty shells.

There is also the English Defence League (EDL), not a political party, more a campaign and rallying group. And recently a new party was formed, the British Freedom Party. Tommy Robinson, the EDL Leader, has been invited to come onboard as the BFP Deputy Leader.

The threat from these groups is currently small. But as Jimmie Higgins rightly points out, the left need to be aware, and be ready to mount a defence against these groups, should their numbers advance in our respective countries.

Given the very severe austerity measures in the UK, essential services being cut to the bone, rising unemployment and social security benefits under assault, the ground for far-right development could prove fertile.

[ВАЛТЕР]

Capitalism in decay.

We shouldn't really be surprised. I admit I am disgusted, but really we should have seen this coming and nobody here should be shocked by the outcome. People when they feel threatened often become very tribal.

[Left Leanings]

Capitalism in decay.

We shouldn't really be surprised. I admit I am disgusted, but really we should have seen this coming and nobody here should be shocked by the outcome. People when they feel threatened often become very tribal.

Very true.

In Britain, in the 1930s, we had the rise of the scumbag Oswald Mosley and his thugs in the British Union of Fascists (BUF). He was effectively given the bum's rush.

I hope if the fash today make anything like the progress Mosley and the Blackshirts made, then we will see them off again.

[Bostana]

I completely agree that fascism is on the rise and is a real threat to Europe and needs to be taken care of. But isn't fascism and fascist parties banned in Germany?

[Railyon]

But isn't fascism and fascist parties banned in Germany?

Technically yes. Legally fascism still exists, thinly veiled as the CDU NPD. Everyone calls them what they are though, even the bourgies. It's an open secret.

The fash aren't such a threat in Germany though, well maybe in the former GDR where the NPD has won some seats and propped up some "nationally liberated zones" (aka areas under fash control) but they're not a threat like in Russia or Greece really.

This polarization of the center is all too familiar though. Smells like the 1920s.

[#FF0000]

I've heard that the fascists in Greece are actually something of a joke, despite their sorta-kinda popularity.

[aty]

The Swedendemocrats have gone back in the polls lately, they seem to be irrelevant for most people today and support the right wing block 94% of the times. But at the same time many of their voters are ordinary workers.

So we socialists base our arguments on economic questions instead on liberal bullshit such as "all are created equal".
The Swedendemocrats is a neoliberal party and is pro-capitalism, they are trying to split the swedish working class and if you vote on them you are betraying your own class. This is also the tactics against the pure nationalsocialists in Sweden and they both seem upset with this as they have become more and more seen as "protectors of capitalism".

The nationalsocialist movement have from 2008 been beaten back in the streets by antifa and they split in different organisations but are now again trying to reemerge from the dark, they have not been very succesful yet.

[Krano]

I've heard that the fascists in Greece are actually something of a joke, despite their sorta-kinda popularity.
I know how you feel comrade, but when half a million people vote for fascists you have to start taking it seriously.

[X5N]

I didn't know about the Norwegian Progress Party until now.

From Wikipedia:


The party wants to ban the use of hijab in schools, and to deport parents of children wearing the hijab, citing the hijab to be oppressive to women and children.

Yeesh.

I didn't even know Norway had a far-right that was significant enough to get parliamentary seats.

[seventeethdecember2016]

You forgot to mention the Turkish National Movement Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalist_Movement_Party), which has 53 seats in Parliament along with 506 municipality seats. Unlike in Greece, there is no strong Socialist movement to counter the Turkish Fascist movement.

I read that the Jewish community in Greece is becoming wary of future political developments in the country. They've said that Golden Dawn hasn't really come out against them, rather Golden Dawn has used most of its rhetoric against immigrants. Golden Dawn has said that they plan to set up landmines on the Turkish border to quell immigration, and other radical anti-immigration policies.

Still, the uncertainty of Greece could eventually lead to be a Fascist state.

[Workers-Control-Over-Prod]

You forgot to mention the Turkish National Movement Party (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalist_Movement_Party), which has 53 seats in Parliament along with 506 municipality seats. Unlike in Greece, there is no strong Socialist movement to counter the Turkish Fascist movement.

I read that the Jewish community in Greece is becoming wary of future political developments in the country. They've said that Golden Dawn hasn't really come out against them, rather Golden Dawn has used most of its rhetoric against immigrants. Golden Dawn has said that they plan to set up landmines on the Turkish border to quell immigration, and other radical anti-immigration policies.

Still, the uncertainty of Greece could eventually lead to be a Fascist state.

While the rise of nationalist and fascist thugs in Greece and Europe is definitely deplorable, the most revolutionary state, Greece, has had its people just now show that they want a left solution to this crisis, with leftist party SYRIZA having gained the most this election, compared to the right.
What concerns me is the north south division in Europe. In Switzerland Mosques have been made illegal by direct democratic vote and Austria's FPÖ has a neo-nazi as a head. But the vast vast majority of people in my region, which is southern Bavaria and Austria; are not fascists etc., not even nationalists i would say, they are merely reacting to the boulevard and hype propaganda to the flourishing state of this region. People have lived quite well in these "new age" nationalist sectors of the north, and when a crisis comes, this clouded decision (so i believe) will definitely be smashed. At the moment social-chauvinist comments such as "The Lazy Greeks" "ignorant Turks" etc. are leisurely societally accepted; but believe me, when this region that has flourished so long falls, people will gain consciousness that it was NOT the "lazy greeks" "PIG countries". When the most reactionary media try to act as if the people are at fault or need to "bring sacrifices" (such as Merkel already said recently) then people will begin to see the System is Against Them, not only Them, but THEM As a Class!

Given that we are steadily experiencing more and more difficult situations in Europe (and the world) Fascism is not such a threat as with the sudden and complete shocking crash of 1929 and 30's. The slower this steadily degrading situation continues; the deeper the seed of class consciousness is planted.

[Zealot]

Usually when the extreme-right gains popularity, so too does the left. The two extremes often rise together because extreme situations often require extreme solutions and it could go either way, just as it happened in Germany. Is the rise of Fascism and the extreme right a concern? Yes. Is it surprising? No. Is the left also on the rise? Yes.

In the present situation the leftist parties of Europe must do all they can to push the balance in their favour, discredit and destroy the fascist movement, strengthen the party and the vanguard, and clear out all of the filth. It would be a huge mistake to underestimate or ignore the rise of fascism as some on the left like to do.

[Left Leanings]

I didn't know about the Norwegian Progress Party until now.

From Wikipedia:



Yeesh.

I didn't even know Norway had a far-right that was significant enough to get parliamentary seats.

The Progress Party has been around for quite some time.

When I was a student in the late 1980s/early 1990s, one of the guys I shared student accommodation with, was a Norwegian, who had come to do his course in the UK.

He told me about the Progress Party, and how it was to the right. From what he told me, it was at that time, more concerned with people having "choice" in healthcare and so on. Another word for privatization, you might say. He was quite a disciplined and patriotic guy, and had done his two-year stint in the Norwegian armed services. This is compulsory for Norwegians (and the equivalent to the (now defunct) UK 'National Service'). People can choose to work on social or community projects instead, though, if they want.

What the policies and character of the Progress Party are now, I couldn't say. But if it has shifted rightwards from the time I was at university, it's as well to keep an eye on it.

[Sasha]

As posted in the other gd thread:

The not-so irresistible rise of Nazism in Greece (but where the hell are we, the anarchists?)
The future historian will easily draw a line at the end of the Greek Metapolitefsi (the post-dictatorial regime) somewhere between May5th, 2010 and yesterday — the date of the first elections in this new era. Nothing resembles what we used to live a few years ago. As anarchists, anti-authoritarians, people opposed to any form of representation, the electoral process does not concern us. And yet, it is crucial in tracing societal changes — and what is happening in Greece at the moment is immense. For the first time since the Nazi occupation, an openly Nazi party has officially entered the echelons of political power. While the Left celebrates a “victory” it will be unable to capitalise on in any tangible way, few seem to be reading through this temporary, murky shift-around of the mainstream political balance of power.
Society in the greek territory is polarising rapidly. The one pole, the pole of the far-right, the misanthropic facade of the current system of capitalist exploitation, is forming quickly. The crucial task ahead is for our pole to form faster even; for us to understand that the times (not so far) ahead will involve a fight to shift society as a whole in an emancipatory direction. A struggle to keep our cities, our streets, our spaces clean from misanthropic nazi scum. But also, and most importantly, a struggle and a race to occupy the space left behind by a crumbling, retreating system of order; we’d better get going.


courtesy of "occupiedlondon"

[NoPasaran1936]

LOL at the BNP being on this list. The far-right in this country just got stepped on and squashed. BNP lost all of its councillors and saw absolutely no overall gain in vote.

BFP also saw no more than 50 votes per candidate. The far-right is not electable in the UK IMO, but they will resort to street movements like the EDL, which has given the far right a bit more confidence in coming out, since we've seen a rise in NF demos.

[Left Leanings]

LOL at the BNP being on this list. The far-right in this country just got stepped on and squashed. BNP lost all of its councillors and saw absolutely no overall gain in vote.

BFP also saw no more than 50 votes per candidate. The far-right is not electable in the UK IMO, but they will resort to street movements like the EDL, which has given the far right a bit more confidence in coming out, since we've seen a rise in NF demos.

Yep.

There was a picture somewhere, of Griffin looking haggered as fuck, as his scumbag councillors were flung out of office on their arses lol.

[bricolage]

The far-right is not electable in the UK IMO, but they will resort to street movements like the EDL, which has given the far right a bit more confidence in coming out, since we've seen a rise in NF demos.
EDL demos have been decreasing in size and social effect for some time now, at the moment the far right is in check.

[NoPasaran1936]

EDL demos have been decreasing in size and social effect for some time now, at the moment the far right is in check.

Whilst they maybe decreasing in size, the numbers have been pulled elsewhere, like the NWI, NF and 'CxF'. The in-fighting hasn't pushed them away from the far-right, only splintered it.

They're still holding frequent demos, but have increased flash demos, therefore grown in confidence.

[Grenzer]

While the rise of nationalist and fascist thugs in Greece and Europe is definitely deplorable, the most revolutionary state, Greece, has had its people just now show that they want a left solution to this crisis, with leftist party SYRIZA having gained the most this election, compared to the right.
What concerns me is the north south division in Europe. In Switzerland Mosques have been made illegal by direct democratic vote and Austria's FPÖ has a neo-nazi as a head. But the vast vast majority of people in my region, which is southern Bavaria and Austria; are not fascists etc., not even nationalists i would say, they are merely reacting to the boulevard and hype propaganda to the flourishing state of this region. People have lived quite well in these "new age" nationalist sectors of the north, and when a crisis comes, this clouded decision (so i believe) will definitely be smashed. At the moment social-chauvinist comments such as "The Lazy Greeks" "ignorant Turks" etc. are leisurely societally accepted; but believe me, when this region that has flourished so long falls, people will gain consciousness that it was NOT the "lazy greeks" "PIG countries". When the most reactionary media try to act as if the people are at fault or need to "bring sacrifices" (such as Merkel already said recently) then people will begin to see the System is Against Them, not only Them, but THEM As a Class!

Given that we are steadily experiencing more and more difficult situations in Europe (and the world) Fascism is not such a threat as with the sudden and complete shocking crash of 1929 and 30's. The slower this steadily degrading situation continues; the deeper the seed of class consciousness is planted.

Couple problems with this, comrade.

This seems to be economism; the economic crisis hasn't really helped communism at all. Or if it has, it's only been terms of microscopic gains. It takes more than that economic forces to build class consciousness to any significant degree, you need to have a party which is willing to pose itself as an alternative to the current political order. The left is too divided into insignificant sects to do this at the moment, and many left organizations are economist in nature, not willing to put themselves forward as champions in the workers' political struggle. Revolutionary sloganeering isn't a credible alternative to the workers, they demand representation now, not in some abstract, off-in-the-future revolution. If the communist parties are not willing compose themselves as the class-for-itself, then the fascists are all too willing to co-opt the workers' anger. Leftists organizations aren't willing to actually engage the workers, provide them with aid in their daily struggles. The fascists are willing to fill in the gap here and provide food aid and other forms of involvement with the workers which the left should be doing.

While beating up some fascists is always commendable, the anarchists and other economists aren't willing to pose themselves as alternate source of political authority. This is why the fascists are gaining and why the left is stagnating.

You say the Greeks want a left solution to the crisis, but this demand is being filled in by reformists because the actual far-left isn't interested in composing itself as this alternate political authority; or to the degree that they are(like the KKE), the succumb to coalitionism and popular frontism which leads to reformism. The idea that the economic crisis is going to deliver the workers to the communists on a silver platter is just wishful thinking, really.

[Redjay]

Like many have said,we dont really have an issue with the BNP and EDL in the UK at the moment,although the rise of GD and Le Penn etc doesnt bode well in my opinion for the future of europe.....

[bricolage]

Whilst they maybe decreasing in size, the numbers have been pulled elsewhere, like the NWI, NF and 'CxF'. The in-fighting hasn't pushed them away from the far-right, only splintered it.
yeah and that seems to have made all the splinter groups pretty impotent, dunno, maybe they'll spring back but it doesn't seem very likely.

[NoPasaran1936]

yeah and that seems to have made all the splinter groups pretty impotent, dunno, maybe they'll spring back but it doesn't seem very likely.
Not really likely, no. But nonetheless they've come out more often in recent years, and the EDL provided that confidence for them to come out. They're frequent and some adopted flash demonstrations, which says something about the far-right.

It's not a large scale threat, I understand and allow me to put that straight. However, electorally, I don't think the far-right is electable in this country, it does appear the nation is literally centrist sometimes leans to the right, other times to the left.

[pastradamus]

Nothing surprising here comrades.

History has shown us that people support fascism when socialism is on the rise or when it fails for that matter.

When times are going bad economically (as they are in Greece) people elect radical leftists to fix things. Others see whats happening and elect radical rightists to counter them. Happened over and over again in European history ie Mussolini and Hitler.

[pastradamus]

Like many have said,we dont really have an issue with the BNP and EDL in the UK at the moment,although the rise of GD and Le Penn etc doesnt bode well in my opinion for the future of europe.....

The main difference here is that Nick Griffin and his members are complete morons.Le Penn's crowd are a different bunch of animals. They act professionaly and slay professionally.

[MaximMK]

Dont know if u seen this. The bonehead is making them all stand up for the entry of the party leader.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vx0XmSPy_bg&feature=player_embedded

[Dimmu]

Everyone who has read any history knows why this happens.. Fascism has always been a part of capitalism, thats an undeniable fact. Now you have the capital supporting the fascist/nazi groups all over Europe..

Then you have the second part of the problem and that is the modern left. Leftist parties here in Europe have all but abandoned the working class. Most of their support now comes from the liberal university teenagers.

Both of this problems create an environment for the far-right to grow. Europe needs a militant antifa movement that is willing to talk about the class issues at hand and then to smash the fascists physically if needed.

[Left Leanings]

Here is a video and news report, of how the newly-opened offices of Golden dawn, were greeted by anarchist activists.

The nazis had their offices trashed:

http://blog.occupiedlondon.org/2012/03/15/patras-anarchists-storm-and-trash-the-newly-opened-offices-of-neo-nazi-group-golden-dawn-in-broad-daylight/

:) :star:

[aty]

Both of this problems create an environment for the far-right to grow. Europe needs a militant antifa movement that is willing to talk about the class issues at hand and then to smash the fascists physically if needed.
We need a militant socialist workers movement. Not an explicit "antifa movement".

We need to build a new workers movement, that will create a concrete choice for the working class. A movement that focuses on the class struggle and not smaller questions like antifascism, feminism, environment, sexism, etc. These questions will never build a workers movement, no matter how important these questions may seem to be.

This is hard work and not romantic in any way, but it has to be done.

[Psychedelia]

Dont worrie this voters are possible some rednecks who dont know histroy,the socialists will win,

But i still dont get it,can some one pleas tell me this:

Im an slovan,and we have many nazi people here,i dont get them,we were on hitlers: what to kill list,and some people still worship that naz bowl,and same is with france they will under nazi as well. So can someone pleas tell me why do people still believe in Nazism,fascism

but if fascist will win we can still all be partisans then yeey :thumbup:

[JAM]

Here in Portugal only few old people and even fewer young people want dictatorship back, the big majority is against this, and against this government, 40% of the population didn't vote in the elections, therefore ,democraticaly, there should be no government in Portugal.

I am prety sure anarchism is rising in Portugal, I have seen many anarchist symbols show up in the street, my generation is learning that government is good for nothing and only serves to empoverish people. The communism the people here know is leninism/stalinism, (when I told my father about anarchist communism he said those were not compatible because communism is authoritarian) when I teach people anarchism they instantly become interested, but if I say communism they want nothing to do with me, they feel like communism is not the answer, that is one of the reasons anarchism (in my generation) is rising.

The inaccuracy of your commentary doesn't surprise me after what I saw in the other thread. However, I must correct you again to avoid a misunderstanding of how the things are now in Portugal to the users who don't live here.

If communism image is so bad in Portugal as you insinuate you perhaps can explain me how the electoral results of the Communist Party grew in every election since 2005. You can also explain me why the Bloco de Esquerda is behind the Communist Party.

If anarchism is so popular in Portugal why I only hear about it when there are disorders in demonstrations caused by a few people which are immediately repudiated by the majority of the demonstrators?