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.

              • Seleni@lemmy.world
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                5 months ago

                Hahahahahaha

                Go to any place Christian nutters have ‘missionaried’ in over in Africa and you can see them with the masks off.

                The only reason that sort of shit doesn’t openly happen in most of Europe anymore is it isn’t a popular idea with secular people, and religious leaders don’t have enough power to force it down people’s throats - yet.

        • unexpectedteapot@lemmy.ml
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          5 months ago

          I am a person from an Arab and Muslim country. This logic is insane and downright dangerous. You don’t know what you are getting yourself into. Read about it.

          • crapwittyname@lemm.ee
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            5 months ago

            I’m not “getting myself into” anything. I understand how logic works and what words mean. I read some words about how islamophobia is racism and they were logical. They were at least a hundred times more convincing than your comment. You are saying that the idea that islamophobia is racism is dangerous. That is an extremely bold claim. Would you like to explain that a little?

      • 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.