Brussels, 10/10/2013 (Agence Europe) - MEPs stated on Wednesday 9 October that Greece was by no means an isolated case, in terms of the rise in extremism. Several MEPs, largely from countries receiving financial assistance, described the crisis, and in particular the way in which the crisis has been handled, as the fertile ground for the growth of this extremism.
“European institutions did not take account of the people's anger. The ordinary man in the street paid a heavy price” for the austerity policies put in place, said Theodoros Skylakakis (ALDE, Greece). The EU may stress needed consolidation of public finances and debt reduction to encourage growth, but the compatriot of Skylakakis, Nicolaos Chountis (GUE/NGL) takes the view that “the only objective of austerity is to save the international banks” and “it is the Greeks who are paying for it”, he added.
Nathalie Griesbeck (ALDE, France) drew a parallel between 2013 Europe and 1929 Europe, a Europe of “despair and poverty, and thus of the rise of Fascism”. She also highlighted the emergence of a “deep Euroscepticism that flourishes in the breeding ground of social discontent and crisis” and austerity policies that have been poorly presented by the EU, as well as a certain democratic deficit.
Not all MEPs drew the same conclusion. Sylvana Rapti (S&D, Greece) is of the view that the rise in extremism “goes beyond unemployment and the crisis” citing the cases of Austria and the Netherlands, where unemployment is low but where extremist parties are on the rise.
In addition to the rise in these parties, two MEPs were concerned at the appropriation by traditional parties of a number of extremist ideas. Cecilia Wikstrom (ALDE, Sweden) spoke of contamination of the rhetoric, for fear of losing voters. Fransizka Keller (Greens/EFA, Germany), too, was critical of parties adopting extreme ideas, adding that these ideas “have no place in the EU”.
Commissioner for Justice, Fundamental Rights and Citizenship Viviane Reding listened carefully to what MEPs had to say. She advocated a zero tolerance policy against all forms of extremism, whether of the Left or of the Right, which are feeding off a philosophy that is “incompatible with the values on which the EU is based”.
She and Lithuanian Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs Vytautas Leskevicius felt it was for member states to apply national laws. “It is not for the Council to bring a response”, said Leskevicius, whose country holds the rotating Presidency of the Council of Ministers, “but, at European level, extremism must be challenged” and firmness shown in the face of “any demonstration of intolerance, racism and xenophobia”, he said. Reding promised that the Commission would prepare a report on compliance with the provisions of the 2010 framework decision on racism and xenophobia. She ended by quoting Robert Schuman: “World peace cannot be safeguarded without the making of creative efforts proportionate to the dangers which threaten it”.
French President Francois Hollande said that the crisis alone cannot explain the rise in populism. In an interview with Belgian dailies Le Soir and De Standaard, on Thursday, he said that the rise in populism was also due to “fear of decline”, “relations with Islam” and “the ageing of the population”. (EL/transl.fl)