Front National
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Italy's victorious right
Hide the swastikas!
Much has changed in the European post-fascist firmament since former SS officers, veterans of the collaborationist Vichy government and other dubious figures established the forerunners of today’s far-right parties. Women and young men, usually smartly turned out in tailor-made suits, now set the tone. Commentary by Ian Buruma
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Europe, Ukraine and refugees
Compassion, a sliding scale?
Ideally, those Europeans currently welcoming Ukrainian refugees would show the same sympathy to Syrians, Afghans and others fleeing war beyond the continent. But, argues Ian Buruma, human compassion is a rare enough commodity that we should be grateful whenever it appears
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Interview with the UKʹs Lead Commissioner for Countering Extremism Sara Khan
"Weʹre living through an era of extremism"
In a bid for more dialogue, Sara Khan, UKʹs Lead Commissioner for Countering Extremism, calls on individuals to challenge extremism and on countries to ensure they defend and promote equality, human rights, pluralism and diversity. Interview by Ismail Nermin
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The axis of the right
Europeʹs new isolationist front
Europe is shifting to the right. Border security and isolation increasingly dominate the migration policies of the European Union. At a national level, right-wing parties are peddling a symbolic identity policy to distract from cuts that undermine the very fabric of society, says political scientist Farid Hafez
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Arab Spring and Western Winter
Look before you leap!
Economist Ishac Diwan compares the failure of the Arab Spring with the rise in right-wing populism across the western world, both of them phenomena marked by massive social tensions. Moreover, he argues, the efforts of progressive movements to provide a viable alternative have all but run aground
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Germany′s ′Nazi′ methods
Erdogan – the expert on democracy
In likening present-day Germany to the Nazi era, Recep Tayyip Erdogan demonstrates that his ignorance of Germany is on a par with his ignorance of Nazism. As the Lebanese journalist Hazem Saghieh writes, it is a glaring example of the illiteracy that is prevalent among politicians in the Middle East
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The rise of right-wing populism in Europe
A continent divided
The rise of right-wing populism is throwing Europe off-balance. The impacts on policies concerning migration, inclusion and asylum are already evident. In many European countries, right-wing propaganda is calling into question achievements such as the freedom of religion, free movement for EU citizens and the right of asylum. By Daniel Bax
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Franco-German relations
Brothers in arms?
There was a time, immediately after German reunification in 1990, when many French feared Germany. Today, the roles are reversed. But Germans are not afraid so much of France as for it. By Dominique Moisi
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Interview with the Croatian-German writer Jagoda Marinic
″Cultural identity is not absolute″
"Made in Germany" is a label that sells. But when it comes to people, how German is Germany today? Croatian-German author Jagoda Marinic explains why identity is fluid – and the far-right so dangerous. Interview by Srecko Matic
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Europe′s response to the refugee crisis
"Ugly, feckless and dysfunctional"
A failure to appreciate the potential scale of the problem and a marked lack of interest in addressing the refugee question at a European level, meant that Europe′s heads of state were in utter disarray when the migration tsunami hit last September. Unfortunately little appears to have changed since. An opinion piece by Ana Palacio, former Spanish foreign minister
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Interview with Turkish sociologist Nilufer Gole
"There is a collective will to live together"
Prominent Turkish sociologist Nilufer Gole is a leading authority on Islamic identity and urban Muslim women. In an interview with Ceyda Nurtsch, she explains why freedom of speech is not sacred and why a new society in Europe is inevitable
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Terrorism debate
The distortion of Islam
Why do terrorists such as those involved in the Paris attacks cite Islam as their motivation? Their actions have nothing in common with what most Muslims believe. By Daniel Bax