Europe, the rise of the far right fuels the debate over migration and Ukraine

2024-10-03 18:28:58, Kosova & Bota CNA

Europe looks poised to tighten migration laws amid growing support for far-right parties across the continent. As VOA correspondent Henry Ridgewell reports, Austria's Freedom Party, which campaigned on an election platform to end immigration and oppose military aid to Ukraine, came out on top in last week's election. . However, rivals have said they will refuse to form a coalition with him.

Austria's 'Freedom Party' won 29 percent of the vote in last week's parliamentary elections. The party was founded by former Nazis after the Second World War. This is the latest case of similar party victories across Europe.

Analysts say the party successfully addressed voters' concerns.

"It is about immigration and there are still issues related to Covid19", says political analyst Peter Hajek.

During the election campaign, the Freedom Party pledged, as it put it, "to re-immigrate uninvited foreigners" and suspend the right to asylum.

Far-right anti-immigration parties have won elections in the Netherlands and Italy, recent state elections in Germany and European Parliament elections in France.

"Another success of the extreme right in Europe. Center-right parties are reacting by toughening their stances on immigration, thus increasingly imitating the far right, especially their ideas about identity, immigration and Islam," says Hans Kundnani of New York University.

Immigration is likely to be at the top of the agenda at the EU summit on October 17.

"If the bloc goes more towards policies similar to those of the Freedom Party program in Austria, this essentially means building a wall around the EU," says analyst Kundnani.

This is a major turnaround from 2015, when nearly two million irregular migrants were allowed into the European Union. In 2023, only a fifth of this number has been allowed in the block.

The EU has agreed a new deal on asylum and immigration, which will come into force in 2026. However, this is unlikely to quell Europe's immigration debate.

"Getting this system up and running as intended within two years is very ambitious," says Raphael Bossong of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs.

While opposition to immigration unites far-right parties, they are divided over support for Ukraine. The Freedom Party of Austria and the Alternative for Germany party oppose military aid to Kiev and want to end sanctions against Moscow.

However, other far-right parties, such as the Brothers of Italy, are pro-Ukrainian.

"If you are on the extreme right, but you are pro-Ukraine, then I think many Europeans of the center have no problem with that. They are willing to turn a blind eye to almost everything else these far-right parties do, especially on issues like immigration," says analyst Hans Kundnani.

Austria's Freedom Party does not have the necessary majority to govern alone, and other parties are refusing to enter a coalition. They may remain out of power, but increasing support for the extreme right in Europe is setting the tone for political debate across the bloc./ VOA