European right deplores Dutch deal with anti-Islam MP

[Turborama]

Source: AFP

The European People's Party, an umbrella group of 73 centre-right parties, criticised on Sunday a post-election deal between Dutch conservatives and an anti-Islam party.

"I deplore this political evolution because it can threaten the understanding, the cohesion and the solidarity in our European societies," EPP president Wilfried Martens said in a statement.

"It is the duty of the major political families in Europe to reflect on this unfortunate reality and to combat it jointly," Martens said. "As in the past, the EPP will continue to refuse to work with extreme right and extreme left parties at the European Union level."

Dutch Christian Democrats (CDA), a member party of the EPP, approved a draft coalition deal on Saturday to form a minority government with the liberal VVD party

Read more: http://www.expatica.com/nl/news/dutch-news/european-right-deplores-dutch-deal-with-anti-islam-mp_100621.html

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Good for them. Even the European right think his views are too extreme.

This whole hypocritical canard of "trying to protect Europe's historic liberal tolerance" by being extremely intolerant simply doesn't wash.

Recent related article posted in LBN: http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4562032">Dutch party gives nod to coalition deal with Wilders

[pampango]

1. "How to Fight Islamophobia and the Far Right, in Europe and the United States"

http://mrzine.monthlyreview.org/2010/kumar011010.html

"Wilders was one of the highlighted speakers at the September 11th rally against the proposed Islamic center in downtown Manhattan called by Tea Party bigots, where he called on his audience to "defend itself against the powers of darkness, the force of hatred and the blight of ignorance."

This should come as no surprise. The far right in the US not only collaborates with its counterparts in Europe, but it is also learning the lessons of their electoral victories.

Pamela Geller, whose group Stop Islamization of America was largely responsible for polarizing the discussion around the proposed Islamic center in downtown Manhattan, is not only a fan of Wilders (and the feeling is mutual given his glowing blurb for the book she co-authored on the Obama presidency) but an admirer of open fascists and street gangs such as the English Defense League that routinely attack Muslims and immigrants.

The Tea Party has clearly taken a few pages from the European right. They have learned that in the context of a prolonged economic crisis, racism and the politics of scapegoating can enable them to reach a wider audience. Thus, anti-immigrant groups such as the Minutemen have started to appear at Tea Party rallies and events. Similarly, Geller, who identifies as a Tea Party person, spoke at the Tennessee Tea Party convention in May."

[Turborama]

2. Just found out that German Chancellor Angela Merkel is a member of the EPP

The EPP currently has 15 out of the 27 heads of State or Government in the European Council:

Angela Merkel (Germany, CDU)
Nicolas Sarkozy (France, UMP)
Silvio Berlusconi (Italy, PdL)
Donald Tusk (Poland, PO)
Emil Boc (Romania, PD-L)
Jan Peter Balkenende (Netherlands, CDA)
Fredrik Reinfeldt (Sweden, MSP)
Viktor Orban (Hungary, Fidesz)
Boyko Borisov (Bulgaria, GERB)
Iveta Radičová (Slovakia, SDKU-DS)
Andrius Kubilius (Lithuania, TS-LKD)
Valdis Dombrovskis (Latvia, JL)
Lawrence Gonzi (Malta, PN)
Jean-Claude Juncker (Luxembourg, CSV)
Yves Leterme (Belgium, CD&V)

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_People's_Party