SINISTER RISE OF THE FAR RIGHT IN EUROPE
Irish politicians voice their concerns of anti-european sentiments across the bloc
IRISH MEPS have raised concerns about the rise of the far right ahead of June’s European election as one politician warned you “don’t need to be a fortune teller” to know they will make gains.
Fianna Fail, Fine Gael and Sinn Fein politicians in Europe all spoke about fears that gains by right-leaning parties across Europe could be boosted as people across the bloc head to the polls.
However, Sinn Fein MEP Chris Macmanus accused Government parties of “scaremongering” as Fianna Fail and Fine Gael also warned about the rise of the “far left” in European politics. This included, they said, Sinn Fein.
A recent poll carried out by the European Council on Foreign Relations has predicted that the European elections will contain a “sharp right turn”.
It predicted that populist radical right parties would gain votes and seats across the EU at the expense of centre left and green parties.
Anti-european populists are expected to top the polls in nine member states including Austria, Belgium, the Czech Republic, France, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland and
Slovakia. They are further expected to come second or third in a further nine countries such as Bulgaria, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Latvia, Portugal, Romania, Spain and Sweden. As Irish MEPS met Irish journalists on a trip to the European Parliament in Strasbourg, France, earlier this week, most raised concerns about the rise of the far right and what it may mean for the future of politics in Europe. Fianna Fail’s MEP for Dublin, Barry Andrews, said he is worried about the impact the far right and centre right could have on things like the Green Deal and nature restoration laws. He added: “We are in the pre-electoral phase and a lot of the narrative and rhetoric at the moment are probably heightened.” Asked if he thought there would be a far-right Irish candidate or if parties would move some of their policies to the right, Mr Andrews said it was “already happening”. He said: “Parties are beginning to absorb some of the narratives that had been out there on the fringes and are becoming more mainstream. “Identifying safe countries of origin, trying to expand those as if that’s going to address the major [immigration] issues that we’re facing right now. We are facing major issues.
“Is there going to be a right-wing candidate emerging that’s going to be an independent and saying all the things that you expect right-wing people to say?”
Fine Gael MEP Frances Fitzgerald said the rise of the far right is “serious for the European elections and serious for democracy”.
She added: “We need to wake up and defend democracy.”
Her party colleague, Maria Walsh, meanwhile, told the Irish Sunday Mirror that if the far right did gain a foothold in the European Parliament, it could impact how legislation moves through the parliament and is implemented in Ireland.
She said: “If you have a return of far right or far left, no centre to actually get text done and work on and build on [...] legislation stalls and nothing changes.
“The Common Agricultural Policy, which is up for renewal at one point in the next mandate. If you don’t deliver on that text, and not to jump into the fearmongering space, we will end up like the US Congress where nothing will be achieved.” Ms Walsh and Mr Andrews also raised concerns about Sinn Fein’s place in the European Parliament.
Mr Andrews branded Sinn Fein “far left” as he described the party as “antieurope” and said that they are in the “extremist far-left group in the European Parliament”.
“We’re potentially going to elect six or seven people, half of our MEPS, to an extremist far-left group that are, in my opinion, Eurosceptic, that are happy to repeat Russian Kremlin organised talking points.
“I’m not saying Sinn Fein do that. But certainly, there are people in that far-left group here in this European Parliament doing it.”
Sinn Fein’s only MEP Chris Macmanus accused Fine Gael and Fianna Fail of “scaremongering” and said his party is “mainstream left”.
He said: “People back home in Ireland know where we are on the political spectrum.
“To start attaching labels to us such as that is more electioneering and point scoring from the point of view of Fianna Fail and Fine Gael.
“I think we’re going to see more and more of this kind of commentary between now and the first week of June.”
Parties are beginning to absorb some narratives that had been out there