The Rise of Neo-Fascism in Europe

Original article: http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/05/26/far-right-europe-election_n_5391873.html?1401104084&just_reloaded=1

The Huffington Post’s article reveals a truth many people are scared to see: the rise of far-right and neo-fascist parties in Europe is real. This article notes such far-right parties in nearly every country, which have been gaining support over the past several years. This includes countries such as Britain, France, Greece, Denmark, Germany, Finland, the Netherlands, Hungary, Austria, and Italy. The rise in support for such parties was most apparent after the recent European Parliament election, in which far-right parties received more votes than ever before. Most of these parties are quite nationalist-minded, wishing to limit or eliminate immigrants from their countries. The leader of the Netherlands’ Freedom party even went as far as stating “I hate Islam.” Moreover, the Hungarian Jobbik party has called for the registration of Jews and people with Jewish ancestry simply to “keep a record.”

Every great disaster has its roots somewhere. Hitler could not have risen to power if it were not for the Great Depression that created a crisis, which allowed him to take power. An economic downfall can create a crisis, in which people begin feeling helpless. In such situations, many of them look to blame others for causing these problems. This in turn leads to nationalism. Unfortunately, we recently experienced a similar economic crisis: The 2007 economic downfall was the largest since the Great Depression. Similarly to the 1930s, nationalistic-minded groups have gained wide public support from populations that are simply looking for someone to blame and simple solutions. It is a frightening reality that such far-right parties are gaining public support. It is hard not to think of the possible consequences when a party leader claims he “Hates Muslims” and when another starts recording all Jews and those with Jewish ancestry. I, along with many others, hope that Europe finds a state of stability soon that would keep events as extreme as World War II from taking place once more.