EU: Far-right gains in European elections
01 May 1992
There was a dramatic shift to the right in two regional elections held in Germany during April. In the south the Republican Party won 11% of the poll (gaining 530,000 votes) in Baden-Wurttemberg giving them 15 seats in the state parliament. The ruling Christian Democratic Union gained 39% of the vote, down 10% on the 1988 elections, and lost their overall majority. The Social Democrats received 30% of the vote (down 3%) in second place. In the north in the Schlesweig-Holstein election, the neo-nazi German People's Union (DVU) unexpectedly got 6.5% of the poll (93,000 votes), finishing in third place and securing 6 seats.
This result follows on from their success in neighbouring Bremen in last years election. The governing Social Democrats barely held on to their majority and saw their support drop by 9% from the 1988 elections to 46%. The Christian Democrats finished second with 40%. Both of the far-right parties targeted refugees and immigrants during their campaign and it seems likely that the mainstream parties will rapidly introduce even more stringent measures to deal with so-called "economic refugees" in light of their defeat.
In France the National Front won 38% of the vote in the Nice (14th canton) by-election during February. With a 39% turn out their candidate, Jean Peyrat, finished 20% clear of his nearest rival from the Union for French Democracy.
During the March regional elections they polled an average of 14%, (up 4% on the 1988 national assembly election), after a campaign that was marked by clashes between demonstrators and right wing NF extremists. Rioting broke out in Paris and a 20 year old demonstrator was shot and wounded by National Front stewards in the southern city of Nimes. National Front leader, Jean Marie Le Pen, came second in the Provence-Alpes-Cotes d'Azur region with 23% of the vote; they finished in second place in Alsace (17.4%) and Ile-de-France (16.3%) also, but failed in their attempt to win control of targeted areas. The election was a disaster for the ruling Socialists who received only 18% of the vote and lost five departmental councils.
The Northern League, an umbrella party for the Lombard League and other rightwing federalist groups, made disturbing gains in the Italian general election in April. They gained nearly 9% of the vote to become Italy's fourth largest party. Before the election Umberto Bossi, the League's leader, was their only member of parliament; now they have 55 seats in the chamber of deputies and 25 in the senate. The League won almost a quarter of the vote in Milan but lost Brescia which they took from the Christian Democrats last year.
Guardian 6.4.92 8.4.92; Independent 18.2.92, 23.3.92, 31.3.92, 8.4.92.