Take a look at the live recording from our event on right-wind radicalism. Hosted by Green MEPs and the Heinrich-Böll-Foundation European Union on 4th of March 2014 from 11h 00 to 14h 00, to be found at European Parliament, PHS 7C050.
 

Background

Right-wing radicalism is increasingly on the rise in all EU Member States. It is possible that members of this group will account for up to 10% of MEPs in the next Parliament, following the European elections in May 2014.

Current polls worryingly suggest that Front National, led by Marine Le Pen, might be the strongest French power after the elections, expected to hold up to 20 seats. Marine Le Pen, Dutch Geert Wilders and Austrian Heinz-Christian Strache have already announced their aim to establish a joint parliamentary Group in the European Parliament. In Germany, the possibility looms of “Alternative für Deutschland”, which again spreads right-wing populist arguments, getting into the European Parliament.

The purpose of the Roundtable is to counter the arguments of these groups whereby there is a deliberate attempt to try to define the EU´s crisis in terms of populist one-sided rhetoric. The discussion “Europe on the far right: Developments and strategies against” will be an opportunity to examine rising right-wing radicalism and extremism in the European Union. The aim in particular is to get an overview of the situation in the Member States and develop strategies to counter the statements made by right-wing radicals and extremists.

Who are they? Why do they claim to be the supposed voice of an underrepresented majority? What are their strategies to gain access to the political centre? What can we do in response?

11h00: Welcome note | MEP and Bastian Hermisson

11h10: Roundtable | Developments and strategies against

Andreas Speit, journalist, author of “Europas radikale Rechte”, Hamburg

Dr Britta Schellenberg, Senior researcher on strategies against right wing extremism, Centre for Applied Policy Research, Munich

Shannon Pfohman, Deputy Director (Policy), ENAR (European Network against Racism), Brussels

Jan Philipp Albrecht MEP

Ska Keller MEP

Jean Lambert MEP

Bastian Hermisson, Heinrich-Böll-Foundation, Head

13h40: Concluding remarks |  MEP