The European Union elects a new parliament on May 26. We talked with European journalists and NGOs from different European countries to get a picture of the European right wing. We asked them how their local right wing parties want to change the European Union and which marginalized group is hated the most.
Our questions were answered by Jette Møller, President of the danish NGO „SOS Racisme„.
What right-wing parties are active in your country/participating in the European elections?
Dansk Folkeparti / the Danish People’s Party
What are they campaigning for/what is their political agenda?
Against Muslims, non-western immigrants (=non-white) and refugees, and for a strong welfare state for the Danes, but in its cooperation with the Danish right-wing minority coalition government slowly eroding the same if they are given tightening of immigrant and asylum laws and symbolic improvements of the conditions of the elderly. For gender equality and equality of homosexuals (and Lesbians) as “Danish values” because Muslims are believed to be against.
What is their main topic for the European elections?
Very critical of the EU – – For continued border control and against welfare benefits and State education grants for foreigners – no refugees – trying to form new party group with Lega, Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and Finland’s De Sande Finner.
What marginalised groups does their campaign oppose the most?
Muslims and „non-western“ cultures (meaning non-whites).
How do they propose to change the EU?
They want to leave the EU but are not talking much about it now because of the chaos following Brexit.
How good do you think their chances are in the elections?
Declining popularity, also because two parties farther to the right, the „“Nye Borgerlige“ („New Right“) & „Stram Kurs“ („Tight Course“), the latter outright fascist, are running for our general election on 5 June. They are not running for the EU parliament, however. They are expected to lose two of their three seats also because the Social Democrats have become almost indistinguishable from the Danish People’s Party as far as immigrant and asylum policies are concerned.
