Fascists across Europe could benefit from European Union money - with legitimate parties suffering cuts to their funding.
In September 2012 I reported why nationalist political parties like the UK’s BNP and France’s Front National party would be rubbing their hands in glee. Their positions are set to be potentially strengthened by gaining monies of €400,000 for 2012, funded by the European Parliament. Monies are set to be allocated over the next two weeks.
If successful, they will gain this money from a €30 million fund, because the Alliance of European Nationalist Movements (of which the BNP and Front National are members), is officially recognised by the European Parliament for the first time. They have had a further boost with the EU’s Secretary General recommending they get the money.
Parties such as the European Socialists have been receiving this money for some time and their funding may decrease because of this development. The funding would serve to strengthen the Nationalists’ position within the European Parliament. This is worrying given their stance on immigration including free movement within the EU.
Comments from Front National leader Marine Le Pen only last month – where she compared Islamic prayers to the Nazi occupation – had many in dismay.
The European Commission vice-president Maroš Šefcovic announced new rules for the funding of pan-European political parties and their associated think tanks. One of these changes now requires EU funding only be given where these parties and foundations observe the values of the European Union, “namely respect for human dignity, freedom, democracy, equality, the rule of law and respect for human rights, including the rights of persons belonging to minorities”.
The last part, on minority rights, is a new addition. This was meant to make it harder for parties like the BNP to gain this funding. However it looks likely now they will be able to convince the European Parliament and European Commission they meet all of the conditions.
Having campaigned against the BNP in the 2010 local elections in Barking and Dagenham and against the London Regional Coordinator Robert Bailey for my own council seat, I have experienced first-hand how nasty the BNP and parties like them can be. All the Labour MEPs have signed a petition. I would urge you to do likewise. Let’s hope this possibility of the Nationalists receiving money remains unfulfilled.
Check out Hope Not Hate – www.hopenothate.org.uk/stop-funding-the-bnp – for more.
See also:
• Le Pen’s Fascists bar press from their Reichsparteitag – December 17th, 2012
• Why we should worry about the poison of Le Pen – February 17th, 2012
• The “New Right”: Gaddafi lovers, Holocaust deniers and ‘up market’ fascists – December 14th, 2011
• Griffin’s friends the KKK come to Britain – October 19th, 2011
• Griffin runs for the hills when confronted with fraud allegations – October 11th, 2011
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11 Responses to “European fascists set to benefit from EU funding”
Anon1
Britain for British people. France for the French, Greece for the Greeks! and so