Far right election gains across Europe
01 January 1992
Following on from the surge of neo-nazi violence that swept across Europe during recent months (see Statewatch 5), far right parties have seen a dramatic increase in support during elections.
In Belgium, the mainstream political parties suffered humiliating losses as the Prime Minister, Wilfred Martens, handed in his resignation following a General Election that has left the country in what has been described as one of its greatest political crises. It was an election that saw the Front National win a seat in the national legislature representing the Brussels region and the Vlams Blok gain another ten seats to bring their total to twelve. The Vlams Blok, which was founded in 1978, was not a significant political threat until 1986 when it won two seats in the Belgian national parliament. In 1988, it had 23 councillors elected during the October municipal elections. The VB's heartland is in Antwerp where it received 21% of the vote in the June 1989 Euro-elections and its leader, Karel Dillen, was elected to the European Parliament.
The VB's history emerges from the pre-war fascist movement in Belgium, which collaborated with the country's nazi occupiers during the Second World War. Its formation brought together several nationalist parties and drew on a rigid tradition of Flemish nationalism. Today its policies are those of racism and its main slogan is "Our own people first."
While it is a legally constituted political party the VB does have links with the violent Voorpost (Vanguard) organisation and its members have been involved in violent attacks on political opponents. Indeed, one of their candidates in Antwerp, Xavier Buiseret, is currently facing charges of beating up an immigrant with a baseball bat.
In Austria the Freiheitliche Parti Osterreichs (FPO), or Freedom Party, has established itself as the second largest party in the Vienna city government, gaining 23% of the vote. The FPO, which is led by the openly fascist Jorge Haider, conducted an alarmist campaign around the slogan "Vienna for the Viennese" and warning that the Austrian capital would be overrun by immigrants. Haider himself is no stranger to controversy and recently spoke with admiration of Hitler's employment policies. The vote was the third successful surge by the FPO this autumn.
And in Italy the Lombard League, who won nearly 20% of the vote in local elections in Lombardy last year, received 24% of the vote in the local elections in Brescia to topple the Christian Democrats who have ruled it since the Second World War.
Independent, 11.11.91, 23.11.91, 27.11.91; Guardian, 25.11.91, 26.11.91.