In Eastern Europe, right-wing populism grew after the collapse of stalinism. Many workers were blinded by the promises of wealth, that capitalism would provide for them. We all know that the capitalists never gave wealth to the people of Eastern Europe. Poverty and corruption they got and many felt betrayed. When the former stalinists were voted back into power, the people found out that even the new social democrats were pro-capitalist in nature. With no genuine socialist alternatives, many voters turned to those parties who blames minorities and foreigners for all problems!
Jobbik, ''The Movement for a Better Hungary'' is a right-wing nationalist party. It is founded by Gergely Pongrátz, a veteran of the 1956 uprising against the Stalinist; People's Republic of Hungary. After the collapse of the Hungarian Socialist Workers Party, Pongrátz hated the fact that most stalinists were able to return to power as social democrats. The Socialist Party of Hungary was in his eyes a ''communist'' party and he called all leftists to be the ''evil in the world''!
Gergely Pongrátz was a die-hard anticommunist, calling all social democrats, socialists and communists to be ''dictatorial scum''. He founded the only museum to the 1956 uprising in which the Hungarian nationalists are praised and all communists are called evil. Together with other Hungarian nationalists he created Jobbik, ''The Movement for a Better Hungary'' in 2003. This right-wing populist party claims to oppose the ''leftist, communist'' Socialist Party of Hungary and the European Union. They are economic nationalist and oppose international capitalism. But their supposed anti-capitalist rhetoric is false, they have no problems with Hungarian owned big business!
''Attack'' is the main right-wing populist party in Bulgaria. This nationalist party was created in 2005 by Volen Nikolov Siderov. Like many East European populists he opposes the law of international capitalism. His ''Attack'' party is eco nomic nationalist and traditionalist. They hate the former stalinists who returned to power as the Bulgarian Socialist Party. Like Jobbik in Hungary, Attack is very anticommunist. Claiming that communism ruled Eastern Europe and that the people rose up in 1989 to destroy Marxism and Leninism forever. Siderov's Attack party is very much against none ethnic Bulgarians. The rise in crime is caused by ''Gypsy bandits and marauders'' according to the Attack party. Gypsy's are targeted by the nationalists and like the Roma's in Hungary get blamed for the high crime rates!
The Greater Romania Party was once a big nationalist party in Romania. But since 2008 they are no longer represented in the parliament. The Romanian nationalists created their party in June 1991, almost two years after the revolution that killed Stalinist dictator; Nicolae Ceaușescu. Because of the poverty that capitalism created in Romania, the nationalists won 19% of the votes in 2000. Many Romanians felt betrayed by the new political parties. Liberals, conservatives and social democrats were not loved.
Like many right-wing populists, the Greater Romania Party showed intolerance for ethnic minorities. Anti-Semitism was also part of their ideology, as many Romanian nationalists think that Jews run the economy of the world. The party worships Ion Victor Antonescu, the fascist dictator who ruled Romania between 1940-1944. In a strange way the Greater Romania Party is also positive about the Ceaușescu era ( 1965-1989 ). Nicolae Ceaușescu may have been a Stalinist, but he was also a Romanian nationalist and he kept the nation free from Soviet and American dominance. Both Ion Victor Antonescu and Nicolae Ceaușescu used the nationalist title: Conducător!
In Belgium, the right-wing populists are split between the Dutch speaking Flemish people and the French speaking Walonians. The French speaking part of Belgium was the richest part since the foundation of the kingdom in 1830. This was not liked by the Flemish Dutch who grew more nationalist. In 1979, the Flemish Block was founded by right-wing nationalists. The new party became the most militant right-wing group in Dutch speaking Belgium!
As the economy of Belgium changed so did its wealth. Walonia with its old mines lost its position as richest part of Belgium to the Flemish. This strengthen the Flemish Block who called for the dissolution of the kingdom. An independent Flemish State is what the Flemish Block wanted, a pure white state for the white race. Because the Flemish Block hated foreigners and their cultures. It also supported the legacy of the Flemish Waffen SS. During World War 2, more then 20.000 Flemish joined the Waffen SS to fight the Soviets. After the war, the Flemish nationalists honoured them as hero's. Filip Dewinter, a leader in today's Flemish Interest was seen laying flowers on graves of Waffen SS soldiers!
In 2004 the Flemish Block was declared a party that supports racism by the Belgian Courts. After a trial the party changed its name to Flemish Interest and became more moderate. Flemish Interest however remains a very nationalist and right-wing populist party. But their support is falling in the last years. The more moderate Flemish nationalists of the New Flemish Alliance have won the nationalist vote!
Right-wing populism in the Netherlands was not very strong until the 21st century. The Netherlands was always a very tolerant nation and never liked the ideals of fascists, right-wing populists and nationalists. This changed after the collapse of stalinism and the degeneration of social democracy into a capitalist ideology. The first right-wing populist party who won seats in the Dutch parliament were the Centre-Democrats of Hans Janmaat. The CD was voted into parliament for the first time in 1989. Its leader was Janmaat, a Dutch nationalist who opposed the multicultural society of the Dutch. In the late 80's many Dutch opposed him and his Centre-Democrats!
The CD was able to keep its seat during the 1994 elections, but was voted out of parliament in 1999. Hans Janmaat was never able to rally the Dutch against foreigners and multiculturalism, it would take a few years and 9/11 before the Dutch would turn towards right-wing populism. Pim Fortuyn was the first Dutch politician who was able to rally the Dutch behind the flag of right-wing populism. He founded the local party; Liveable Rotterdam in 2001, this party can be called conservative populist. Pim Fortuyn attacked the Islamic population of the Netherlands. Calling their religion ''stupid'' and ''backward''. He believed that Islam opposed the core values of the Netherlands. Yet he also spoke the language of the people and was able to point at the weaknesses of the Dutch government. Pim Fortuyn was openly homosexual and a supporter of conservative liberal principals and found support among many. The ruling social democrats and liberals opposed Pim Fortuyn so much, that many Dutch felt that he was their man against the ''leftist church'' as Fortuyn called the establishment!
After 9/11, the western world became paranoid about Islamic fundamentalism. Right-wing populists were able to play on the fear many felt. ''Muslims were the new enemy of freedom, because they refuse to accept western culture'' right-wing populists said. Also many in the Netherlands felt that their government was too much multicultural and no longer in favour of Dutch values. Pim Fortuyn left Liveable Rotterdam to create the List Pim Fortuyn. The LPF was to be a new political movement and his ideology was to be Fortuynism!
But just before the general elections in 2002, Pim Fortuyn was assassinated. His killer was Volkert van der Graaf. At his trial, Van der Graaf said that he murdered Fortuyn to stop him from exploiting Muslims as "scapegoats" and targeting "the weak members of society" in seeking political power. Many Dutch turned towards Fortuynism after the death of their icon. The LPF won 26 seats out of 150 seats in the general election. The party entered a coalition government with the christian democrats and social liberals. But this coalition lasted only 86 days, because the LPF proofed to be a gang of greedy business people who fought among themselves for power. Leading members of the LPF could not get along and soon the coalition collapsed. During the elections in 2003, the LPF lost 18 seats!
Three years after the collapse of the LPF, a new right-wing populist took over the legacy of Pim Fortuyn. Geert Wilders left the conservative liberal; People's Party for Freedom and Democracy to create his own political movement. This movement took the name; Party for Freedom although the only member of the PVV, remains Geert Wilders. The new PVV is a mixture of Dutch nationalism, conservative liberalism and right-wing populism. In the centre of the Party for Freedom stands anti-Islam. Geert Wilders opposes Islam and everything that is Islamic in the Netherlands. Muslims he called ''Voting Livestock of the PvdA'' and Islamic females should pay a special headscarf tax, Wilders said. During the general election in 2010, the Party for Freedom won 25 seats. Geert Wilders became the new face of Dutch nationalism in the Second Chamber ( Dutch parliament )!
In the last five years, the PVV moved more to the radical right-wing as Wilders joins up with radical right-wing forces in Europe. A political ally of him is Marine Le Pen, daughter of Jean-Marie Le Pen, leader of the French right-wing nationalists. Marine Le Pen became leader of the National Front after her father retired. Jean-Marie Le Pen is a radical French nationalist who opposes foreign influence in France and was sentenced for racism twice by the courts. He created the National Front in the 70's and became the most radical right-wing politician in France!
Marine Le Pen focuses on issues related to immigration to France, the European Union, traditional culture and values, law and order and France's high rate of unemployment. She advocates immigration restrictions, the death penalty, raising incentives for home makers, and euro scepticism. She strongly opposes same-sex marriage, euthanasia, and abortion in France!
Another right-wing populist party is the Swiss People's Party. This party is the leading force of right-wing Swiss nationalism. With 90.000 members it is a big political party and enjoy's the support of many Swiss. Founded in 1971, the Swiss People's Party's ideologies are; Swiss nationalism, national conservatism, right-wing populism, and isolationism. Like many nationalists the Swiss People's Party opposes foreigners. They want a Switzerland that remains Swiss and are strict believers in limited immigration!
Why are people voting on right-wing populists? Mostly because there is no socialist alternative. The former workers parties ( social democrats ) have abandon their socialist principals. Also with the collapse of the Soviet-Union, most communist parties have disappeared. Those who remained are still trapped in Stalinist dogmatism. Workers are not stupid and see very clearly how social democrats betrayed their principals. Also because of anticommunist brainwashing and the experience of stalinism, most workers have a negative feeling when they hear socialist principals about a planned economy and expropriation of the upper class. In the Netherlands, some say that the rich have the right to be rich, because they worked very hard. This has been drilled into the Dutch mind by the ruling class, who claim to work harder then the average worker!
Right-wing populists also play on emotions. Many workers feel a deep distrust towards their government, who never seems to help them. Under capitalism a government is not there for the people, but to make sure that people are in line with the economic system. When a crisis erupts a government must step in to save those capitalists who are in troubles. This is also why revolutionary socialists oppose a capitalist state. We oppose state power, we want workers control over the means of production and a democratic socialist society!
They were linked to the Jobbik party
The Hungarian Guard was banned because of its
attacks on Roma's and other ethic minorities!
