The Rapid Rise and Decline of the Far Right (Hopefully)

When times are hard, people turn to extremes. This was very evident following the 1929 Wall Street Crash, all across the world people looked for alternatives to the system that had just destroyed their lives. Some went to the communists and others went to the fascists. Without a doubt WWII can be directly linked to the Wall Street Crash of 1929. Fast forward 79 years to 2008 and you find yourself in the midst of another economic catastrophe, again Wall Street has failed. People once again were forced to the extremes, but this time it is all very different. Unlike in 1929, only the far-right seems to have really made gains, the ranks of communists and socialists have barely increased at all whilst across the world the far-right has made fantastic gains!

 In the European elections in 2009 the BNP managed to gain two seats. In last year’s election in Greece the neo-Nazi party, Golden Dawn, managed to win 21 seats in Greece’s parliament. In France the National Front candidate, Marine Le Pen, took 20% of the votes in the first round. In Italy the Northern League has helped to form a right-wing coalition! In America the Tea Party movement sprang up following the election of Barack Obama. There are a few non-economic reasons for their rise, immigration is usually a major campaigning tool for the far-right, and that isn’t exactly a new issue.

Yet, thankfully, the tide appears to be turning, at least in some countries. In the UK the BNP is already falling apart, in the 2010 General Election they failed to gain any seats. In the 2012 London Assembly elections they lost their one MLA. The next European elections in 2014 should see their success in 2009 reversed.

In the states, the popularity of the Tea Party seems to be dwindling. Although they are still a vocal minority, only 21% of Americans in a recent poll actually approve of the Tea Party.

In Greece the government appears to be finally cracking down on Golden Dawn. Six of their MPs have been arrested, including the leader of the party, Nikolaos Michaloliakos, and the deputy leader, Christos Pappas. The Party was the most neo-Nazi of all the new movement, actively advocating racial superiority. Most other parties across the West were more subtle when it came to being that extreme.

The next big test for the far-right will be the 2014 European Elections. How many seats the far right gets in the European Parliament will be extremely telling when election time comes. Let’s hope they fail – and don’t forget to vote!