British National Party, Front National, Lega Nord, Partij van de Vrijheid, Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs, Schweizerische Volkspartei, Vlaams Belang… Populism may carry different names, but a sole essence of intolerance and an identical discourse of hatred are equally sheltered in all of them. Outlandish ideas shaping deplorable purposes, unmistakable clone-like leaders whose words border on absurdity and lie on political putrefaction, dismal intentions whose outrageous nature cannot but lead to bewilderment and sadness. Their common characteristics cannot escape notice: never, nowhere, for no one.

For long years of democratic progress and prosperity, the extreme-right never seemed to be an option. History’s wisdom has sadly taught us the horror of racial and national radicalism. If not the right one, it has shown us the wrong way and, perhaps more important, it has reminded humanity that uniting hopes is far better than destroying lives and illusions. From history, we have learnt that ideological and ethnic extremism can be much more than concepts and become a nightmarish reality from which many might never awake. The Shoah is the most horrifying example of human hatred and destruction; it must always stay immutable in our hearts, indelible in our minds, illustrating the human errors and drawing the path for a better future. It must be an instance enduring for ever.

Nonetheless, history seems to be losing its effect on Europe, which is currently suffering from an alarming general revival of the extreme-right. Once more, rotten monsters of the past have arrived to corrupt societies, sow discord and create hatred. Current extreme-right parties introduce themselves as renewed national options and aim at a varied and broad electorate that drowns in dissatisfaction. However, their leaders vomit the same words of intolerance and present the same sickly ideas that not so many years ago merged in the infamous Holocaustian past of Europe. Many of them even participated in the shameful confection of such past, what gives an idea of how recent it still is.

Nevertheless, a difference is to be found in the nature of these parties: their backstage rejection of democracy collides with the way in which they introduce themselves to their electors. They vilely utilize democracy to make their presence felt in society and many describe themselves as an alternative to parties that defending a system or a socio-political stance that does not work. Furthermore, they do not hesitate to cowardly describe themselves as victims who are attacked by the media, portray the democratic political parties as tyrants and use their apparently marginal position to attract votes and get support for their fatal claims.

Immigrants and Muslims are the new German Jews for parties like the Flemish secessionist Vlaams Belang, the Dutch Partij Van de Vrijheid or the Italian Fiamma Tricolore, whilst extreme-right parties in Central and Eastern Europe still focus their hatred on gypsies. All of them are perilously gaining support amidst Europeans and getting alarming results in local, regional, national and European elections. Their coarse rhetoric is dangerously taking roots, giving birth to a situation that sadly emulates a shameful period of our common past. Every day, the European political scenario becomes a dreadful play whose end is still unknown. Come what may, it would not come as a surprise.

Now more than ever, we must stand against the extreme-right intolerance and hatred. We have to look towards a future of tolerance and respect and show that our past is fresher than ever, but also more buried than ever. The United Kingdom has already rejected the extreme right and Belgium’s turn is approaching. It is high time to confront them with a wave of human fraternity and common sense that they shall never forget.

As some great person once said “it’s never wrong to love, but it’s always wrong to hate”. They shall not pass. |