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.

      • 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.

      • 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.