Portuguese presidential elections

The Portuguese voted yesterday to elect a new Head of State. Marcelo Rebelo de Sousa, a law professor and a TV personality – for many years he commented every Sunday on politics and general affairs on a national news channel and became a household name – was voted in as the next President.

For part of the public opinion he is seen as a moderate right-winger. In fact, he is an open-minded conservative, very liberal in many aspects. In other societies, he would be labelled as a man of the centre-left. Actually, many of those on the Portuguese right would be considered as pretty progressive by the standards of several rightist parties in other countries of Europe. And, in the US, Donald Trump would call them “dangerous leftists”…

Marine Le Pen tonight

The outcome of the French regional elections is now clear. I mean, it shows that the Front National (FN) of Marine Le Pen keeps attracting new supporters as time goes on. It will be, sooner or later, a major democratic challenge for France and a huge headache for Europe. We better be aware of that. And address, as we can, the issues that explain the FN´s political expansion. We should do it before it is too late. 

The EU voters are looking for predictability and security

A detailed analysis of David Cameron´s electoral victory teaches us a few political lessons. Paramount among them is the one related to predictability. In the UK and in many other corners of the EU, the citizen is ready to support the leader that is perceived as the best provider of stability and security, including economic security. The Europeans, after so many years of a deep economic crisis and many bits and pieces of bad news coming from other parts of the world not too far from our Continent, are unsettled. They feel their well-being and the many advantages they have acquired during the last decades are under threat. They tend then to be conservative and anxious to elect a leader that is seen as steady, strong and risk averse.

Cameron´s strange bedfellows

Friday, 13th June, has not been a very auspicious day for David Cameron. His party has now as fellow parties within the same EU Parliamentary group the likes of the Danish People´s Party, the True Finns and, of all, the German movement that Angela Merkel loves to hate: Alternative für Deutschland, an assembly of anti-euro extremists that the Chancellor considers a serious danger for Germany´s interests in the EU.

It is a very shameful collection of radical right-wingers. Their association with Cameron´s fellows makes Cameron´s position within the EU even more precarious. 

Beware of extremist ideas in Europe

Based in the UK, the Institute for Strategic Dialogue (ISD) is an independent think tank that is spending quite a bit of its resources on research about the extreme right movements in Europe. The research is also used to make policy recommendations.

It is worth to look at its webpage at:

 http://www.strategicdialogue.org

The right-wing extremism is one of the growing concerns in certain EU countries. Racism, xenophobia, radical nationalism and anti-liberal authoritarianism are its key features. In addition, there is also the risk of violence related to religious fanaticism.

It would be a serious mistake to pretend EU is immune to that kind of violent ideas. Actually, as we get closer to the European elections we can see that ultra-right parties are gaining ground in several countries.

It is critical to fight them politically. But in some cases, they are just a matter of law and order. Their leaders should be brought to the book. 

The radical right is on the offensive

Globalisation and international migrations tend to generate the impression, in the EU public opinion, that that the world out there has become a threat to our standard of living, our jobs, culture and values.  Protectionist ideas are easily gaining ground and can become the extremist banner behind which people could rally. In many ways, both ends of extremist political spectrum can make use of these fears. But it is above all an easy ride for the radical right. They are the ones that can gain more from the exploitation of such feelings. And that explains in no small measure the advances of the right wingers in many parts of the European Continent. And we can expect more of it as well.