![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
![]() |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
![]() |
You are in: World: Europe | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
![]() |
![]() |
Thursday, 16 May, 2002, 12:00 GMT 13:00 UK
Immigration fears boost Europe's right
![]() Pim Fortuyn broke a political taboo (picture: AP)
The crushing defeat of the Social Democrat-led government in the Netherlands confirms the trend recently seen in France, with the shock defeat of the Socialist Lionel Jospin and record support for Jean-Marie Le Pen and his National Front. In France, the Netherlands and elsewhere, many voters on low-to-middle incomes have turned away from left-of-centre parties and embraced resurgent right-wing groups instead. The Social Democrats claim to have a good record of economic growth and cutting unemployment.
Yet voters feel vulnerable and fed up with their old leaders, and it seems the biggest motive is fear of the changes that have come with uncontrolled immigration. Pim Fortuyn broke a political taboo by claiming that Islam was "backward" because of its treatment of women and gay people.
In the Netherlands a spirited debate can now be expected on that. Already governments in many parts of Europe, including Britain, Denmark and Austria are taking steps to oblige immigrants to learn the country's language and accept its concept of citizenship. At the same time the European Union is making new efforts to stop the influx of illegal immigrants, and work out common immigration policies to satisfy the real economic need for immigrant labour. There are no easy solutions to these sensitive problems. Illegal immigration is impossible to stop because of the EU's extensive borders and coastline. Hardline anti-immigrant attitudes in places like Germany and Austria make more liberal policies difficult. And Muslim and other minority communities everywhere want reassurance that the shift to the right will not mean more discrimination and hardship for them.
![]() ![]() |
![]() |
See also:
![]() Internet links:
![]() The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites Top Europe stories now:
![]() ![]() Links to more Europe stories are at the foot of the page.
![]() |
![]() |
Links to more Europe stories
|
![]() |
![]() |
^^ Back to top News Front Page | World | UK | UK Politics | Business | Sci/Tech | Health | Education | Entertainment | Talking Point | In Depth | AudioVideo ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- To BBC Sport>> | To BBC Weather>> ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- © MMIII | News Sources | Privacy |