All together now: Europe’s far-right parties seek common cause

Leaders of some of Europe’s far-right-wing parties met in Koblenz, Germany, on Saturday to coordinate strategies and capitalize in their own upcoming elections on the Brexit vote in Britain and the election of Donald Trump as U.S. president.

The host party of the conference was Alternative for Germany (AfD), represented by co-chairperson Frauke Petry. It is estimated to have the support of something above 10 percent of Germans. Elections are scheduled for Sept. 24. French National Front leader Marine Le Pen was there. She is gauged to become one of the two final candidates for France’s presidency, although the French political situation is fluid with President Francois Hollande’s popularity so low that he has declined to run in the spring elections. Normally the French left, center and right combine to keep the far right out of the Elysee Palace.

Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch Freedom Party, was there. He gets a lot of attention, but it is not expected that the basically staid Dutch will choose him in their March 15 elections. Italian Northern League leader Matteo Salvini attended, although Italian national elections won’t take place until next year.

The umbrella group for Europe’s far-right parties is called Europe of Nations and Freedom, based in the European Parliament, although together they hold only a small minority of seats in the European Union’s elected legislative body.

This group of parties is trying to put forward the idea that it constitutes a movement, in both Europe and America. The common elements in these parties’ positions is that they are anti-immigrant, anti-European Union and anti-common currency. They can variously be described also as populist, nationalist and sometimes racist at their base.

It is difficult to say how much appeal they will end up having at the ballot box. European politics are idiosyncratic from country to country. Some vote right, some vote left and some alternate. It can’t even be said that the populations of all of them want change. German Chancellor Angela Merkel has been in power since 2005 and, in spite of the hits she has taken for her immigration policy, is likely to win her fourth term in September, based on the country’s continued prosperity.

Mr. Trump should keep out of these elections. America should have alliances with countries, not with particular parties and politicians.

Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/opinion/editorials/2017/01/26/All-together-now-Europe-s-far-right-parties-seek-common-cause/stories/201701260020