A far-right coalition has been formed in the European Union Parliament to advance anti-immigration policies, to defy the EU?s efforts to build closer integration, and to thwart Turkey?s entrance to the EU. The official formation of the group makes them eligible to receive EU funds?up to $1.3 million–and grants them considerable speaking time in the assembly. The faction, named the Sovereignty and Tradition Group, has put forth a series of goals to make headway on the Parliament?s discussion table. It is the first group of its kind established in the European Parliament in over a decade, and the official announcement of its formation concerned much of the rest of the assembly. Indeed, when taking a closer look at whom the forerunners of this group are, there are some good reasons to be concerned.
The French presidential far-right candidate Jean-Marie Le Pen and his party member Bruno Gollnisch are preeminent leaders. Le Pen is well-known for his anti-immigration platform. Gollnisch, who is facing charges for questioning the existence of the Nazi gas chambers (the trial is set to start soon), remains one of France?s most controversial lawmakers. Further, Italy?s Alessandra Mussolini, the granddaughter of fascist Dictator Benito Mussolini, also leads the group. Other members include nationalists from far-right parties in Austria , Belgium , Slovakia , and Germany .
Leading members in the European Parliament have stated that the formation of the Sovereignty and Tradition Group does not threaten the overall consensus on immigration and integration issues. However, two very important details are noteworthy:
1) the founding members of this radical faction come from parties across Europe that have gained a foothold in their home governments in recent years, and
2) as their national influence and constituent base continue to increase, far-right wing factions may continue to grow in size and strength.
Recent elections across Europe proved exactly this: Le Pen?s party gained an astonishing 12% of the popular votes in France in 2002, a momentum he has been riding ever since, and in Belgium, the Flemish Interest Party?s anti-immigration agenda has earned them the lead in the country?s Dutch-speaking north.
Another factor that will prove troublesome to the EU?s progressive expansionist agenda is that many of the same countries they are working to bring on carry a powerful home base of ultra-nationalist parties that are keen to support, if not join, the Sovereignty and Tradition Group. In fact, the group was able to establish its formal creation because Romania and Bulgaria , both of whom joined the EU on January 1, 2007, brought government members into the European Parliament who helped Le Pen, Mussolini, and their coterie to gain the minimum of 20 members from six countries needed to form a official bloc.
Although the likelihood that the Sovereignty and Tradition Group will gain a legislative influence in the near future is slim, right-wingers? development and growth should be watched closely. A chain of events in Europe has helped bring anti-immigration sentiment to the mainstream, to include the backlash from the Mohammed Cartoon crisis . With an established parliamentary group set to support and promote this sentiment, xenophobia will continue to gain strength and popularity.