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WHILE THE WORLD watches on as the United Kingdom faces into uncertainty as it prepares to leave the European Union, Europe’s far right leaders are looking on in hope and calling for their countries to follow into the unknown.
French far-right leader Marine Le Pen on Friday hailed Britain’s decision to leave the European Union and called for a similar referendum in France.
“Victory for Freedom! As I have been asking for years we must now have the same referendum in France and EU countries,” the National Front (FN) leader tweeted.
The eurosceptic, anti-immigration FN has accused the EU of suffering a “democratic deficit” and has long urged all members of the bloc to follow Britain’s example.
The Brexit vote is likely to fire up eurosceptic populists across the bloc, with Dutch far-right MP Geert Wilders also calling for an EU referendum in his own country following the result.
“The Dutch people deserve a referendum as well. The Party for Freedom consequently demands a referendum on NExit, a Dutch EU exit,” Wilders said in a statement.
“We want be in charge of our own country, our own money, our own borders, and our own immigration policy.”
If I become prime minister, there will be a referendum in the Netherlands on leaving the European Union as well. Let the Dutch people decide.
Elections are not due in the Netherlands until next year, but since last year polls have consistently shown support for the Freedom Party (PVV) climbing on the back of the refugee crisis.
Although it is has slipped back in recent months, the last polls from May showed Wilders’ party would win the largest support gaining some 31 seats in the 150-seat party, more than doubling its current 15 seats.
There are growing fears the British vote could trigger a domino effect, threatening the core of the European project.
EU President Donald Tusk said the bloc was “determined to keep our unity.”
And EU Parliament President Martin Schulz said Friday he would speak with German Chancellor Angela Merkel “on how we can avoid a chain reaction” of other EU states following.
But he voiced confidence there would be no contagion.
The EU was the biggest single market in the world and “Great Britain has just cut its ties with that market,” Schulz said.
That’ll have consequences and I don’t believe other countries will be encouraged to follow that dangerous path.
But Matteo Salvini, Italy’s most prominent far-right politician, also hailed the Brexit vote as an example his country should follow.
“Cheers to the bravery of free citizens,” the leader of the anti-immigration, anti-EU Northern League wrote on Twitter. “Heart, head and pride beat lies, threats and blackmail. THANKS UK, now it is our turn #Brexit”.
Sweden’s small Left Party called for the country’s government to renegotiate the terms of its adhesion to the EU.
- © AFP 2016 - Additional reporting by Nicky Ryan
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‘That’ll have consequences and I don’t believe other countries will be encouraged to follow that dangerous path’. And they wonder why Europeans are turning against the EU with threats like that.
If other countries want to leave, so be it. But they’d be fools not to watch how the UK one plays out over the next few years before jumping the gun.
yeah right, choosing to survive is more dangerous than continuing under the whip of oppressive unelected EU politican liar s**m. Some people just have a slave (yes master, yes master) mindset……Trevor.
@trevor imagine since we gave Europe all our reserves held by Ireland to bail out banks on the insistance of retire Trichet otherwise we would be flung into the abyss. Ireland has really suffered with European democratic non elected decision makers. We have high unemployment, more part time work, higher taxes to pay for the bailout that saved the Euro currency, we have no hospitals that function as a hospital but look more like an overcrowded fire hazard near oxygen tanks, trolleys clutter our hospitals, we have a major homeless crisis…. The list goes on.
As an Irish person with vision of a life outside Europe I hope we have a referendum soon to leave and take back the punt. We rejected Lisbon and Europe sent over scare mongering propaganda politicians from other countries to get us to vote again until we said yes. Europe today want every person tax number to collect European taxes. That been very quite but will be reported.
Congratulations to Britian they have stepped off the madness of Europe and if I get a chance to vote I hope to follow them.
The E.U has only itself to blame for the rise of the far right. The E.U. is a construct of neoliberal capitalism and is viciously anti working class and anti democratic as evidenced in their crushing of the Greek people and multiple other examples.
Capitalism is a system which is based on the exploitation of the majority working class in order to enrich the minority capitalist class. This model inevitably produces a chasm of inequality with abject poverty on one side and obscene wealth on the other. Our politics, media and education systems are designed to obscure this harsh reality while our governments fully support this exploitative socioeconomic system.
This results in large numbers of people living in varying degrees of poverty and desperation and not understanding fully why that is the case. This gap in understanding is what the right wing populists (e.g. UKIP and Trump) and quasi fascists (e.g. Le Pen and Wilders) exploit to drag themselves to power.
They too lie to the working class and blame easy scapegoats like immigrants or Muslims for the dire straits in which the majority working class finds itself. This is the road to oppression, violence and war.
We have the resources to provide everyone with a decent home, healthcare, education and a job. It is an ideological choice not to do so. The options facing humanity are socialism or barbarism.
Read the article again steve. Trevor was quoting Martin Shultz.
@Tea
I know. I am addressing that threat, hence the reference to “unelected politician liar s**m”.
Apologies steven….. I misinterpreted your comment!
Nail on the head right there
@Tea
No worries, the written word has it’s pros and cons.
Ah for gods sake Wally, “the far-right”?
It is the right thing to do to secure a peoples country for the native people. If you do not support that then you have no right to support Amazonian Indians protecting their territory against the same idea that they too should have their territory opened up to the world.
Supporting multicultural immigration means you are supporting Soros globalist agenda.
Let each of them have a vote whether they want to stay or remain. Then respect the wishes of the people. It’s Democracy in action as it should be.
It’ll never happen Will…it should but it won’t. Can’t be allowing democracy get in the way of neo liberalism. The EU have brought this on themselves and unfortunately is too. The disconnect and their policies during the banking crisis pushed people too far and now they are lashing back at them.
Tusk stated this morning that the EU is irrevocable ..a sign the EU political classes are genuinely concerned this exit will snow ball quickly. It’s not up to him to say the entire EU experiment is irrevocable , it’s up to the people of each country to say that though the ballot box.
They’ll make an absolute example of Britain to make sure no other country gets notions of leaving but in the long run they’re only nailing the EU coffin shut tighter.
Democracy is scary when the UK has an elected government with less than a third of the vote. And then has a referendum where 60% of 18-35 year olds want to remain and the retired +65 swing a vote where there is no going back. A referendum was madness. Baby steps to reform.
Most 18 to 30 year olds haven’t a clue about life. At least the 50+ crowd have seen more of life and know when they are being taken for mugs.
Everything remainers point to is the economy. Somethings are more important than just money, such as national security, identity and uncontrollable immigration. Until the EU begin to tighthen control of immigration and allow each member state some leeway to control this then i fear these right wing groups will continue to gain traction. A Union of free travel and trade was a fantastic idea, however nobody voted to join a political union that dictated to national parliaments what to do. I can see France, Greece, Sweden slowly making tracks to leave
Caped Crusader you say that to the unemployed men and women who have to provide for their families. When the money goes out the window that is when thing turn dire.
Tina – without doubt unemployment is hard on people and i would never say otherwise. The point im making is that the economy is not the only factor affecting many people. The English especially have a very strong national identity they feel is being erased by being a member of the EU, hence the large leave vote in England. At some stage social issues will surpass economic issues and for the UK that stage is now.
It’s hard to say as the lines have been blurred. Even allegedly far right politicians today are fairly liberal when compared to the traditional right from 50 years ago. That and it’s very common for people today to be conservative on some topics while being quite liberal towards others.
I’m of the opinion that these ‘right’ and ‘left’ labels are antiquated and of no use in the modern world.
What a load of nonsense Jason. Fascism is on the rise in Europe. See the reckless hatred against Muslims which has become normalised.
If being against mass-immigration, like we had all before the mid 90′s and wanting a country for your own people is fascism, then tell us what is wrong with that?
All countries must annihalate their unique heritage and culture otherwise they are poisonous hate war mongering nazis. Of note this criteria only applies to countries of Caucasian origin.
It’s the start of a giant sinking ship, hope Ireland has a vote to leave,
When we leave the ship what sort of lifeboat do you propose to support us?
Keelan, we are well capable of swimming on or own, and medium term will swim far better then staying in the eu
Proof mick? Rhetoric won’t get us far, what do you propose will bring us this big financial boost of being on our own?
Proof is in Iceland.
15% of their entire population can afford to travel to an incredibly expensive football event only a few years after a total economic collapse including the freezing of assets and cessation of currency trading (as bad as bad can get, probably even a worse shock than leaving the euro would be). That tells me Iceland is doing pretty good – along with every other economic indicator.
Ireland is not Iceland Michael. If that’s your only “proof” it looks more like hyperbole.
Your right John, Ireland is in a much stronger position than Iceland was.
We could use the UK lifeboat, after all we have more in common with them than faceless drones in Brussels or with the German Fuhrer.
What is the definition of a far right party Does being against uncontrolled emigration make you a far right party
Kenny is the worst person to lead the country in this situation,he has to go soon to ensure Brexit is best used for our gain.
There is no far right anymore. There’s just the right now. The ex far right became mainstream and have successfully cast off the shackles that the left had tried so hard for so long to keep them in. All the labels have just gone out the window. Nothing extreme about wanting to control your own borders and run your own country as you see fit. That’s not extremist.
Exactly… I’d really like an explanation on that
People are waking up,the eu gravy train is gonna hit the buffers
The EU is no friend of Ireland, we are fed up paying for debts we didnt take on to keep the rotton ship afloat. Unfortunately we have “leaders” who have one eye on the EU gravy train and a blind eye on what this evil organisation has done to the country. Time to take our country back, no need for Fuhrer Merkel to rule us anymore.
Posh and Becks, Bob Geldof, Elton John, Barack Obama, Maggie Thatcher, Sir Winston Churchill, Enda Kenny, Brian Hayes, Simon Cowell, JK Rowling, Richare Branson, Angela Merkel, Eddie Izzard, Bear Grylls, Benedict Cumberbatch,:
Your boys took one hell of a beating.
Nice one Adam :)
Have we ever seen this level of consensus and convergence between left and right on such issues? It was the poor working classes, traditionally labour voters who carried Leave over the line.
It was the elderly that won the day. Over 60′s. not poor people really. People who are around long enough to know better.
Well said Machiavelli!
The centre ground / liberal media love to paint this as a far-right coup – because saying anything is far-right essentially negates the ability to hold that view in public for fear of being branded _insert applicable ‘ism’ here_, in an effort to suppress the debate.
However there are many people from the left who also despise this EU project, indeed many left wing commentators on this very website – particularly over the EU’s treatment of Greece / general lack of democracy among other issues. So while we may disagree on how to run an economy, left and right know a bad thing when they see it!
There you go Merkel with your genocidal immigration policy, and scam refugee(economic chancer) “crisis”. Brits feel like strangers in their own country, this was their last chance to save their own ethnicity and culture, despite the arrogance, self-righteousness, smugness of the media and politicians whom the consequences of mass-immigration will never affect, they told you to Fk off. A movement for European peoples is now firmly underway, liberals your time is at an end.
Why is Europe so stunned with the result that England left. Ah could it be they think themselves as imperils emperors of all democracy in every European country. Ah now less be more is the wages of Europe well less a nation ( UK) is more less nation that will follow the UK be more less of Europe.
England gave Europe 350,000 million each year and decided to leave keep their money for their run down NHS
Far from it stevencarrol. Britain had muslim immigration long before they joined the EU. No other capital in Europe elected a Muslim mayor. Nowhere else in Europe is the Sharia law so far advanced into the integration with the official legal system. Still a lot of work. As much as I support a Leave vote it doesn’t solve the islamisation problem.
@Mac
Point is this is the visceral sentiment of a nation telling the EU and mass-immigration multiculturalists they want to protect their ethnicity and identity. Of course there is ton of work to be done, but it shows the people are onboard, much to the shocked self-righteous indignance of the media and political s**m class.
*indignation
stevenocarroll – seriously? The multi-culturalism project has advanced as far in the UK as in Sweden and all without any EU interference. They have chosen to reject the free movement of EU workers but have chosen to keep handing out visas to their former colonies like Pakistan, Risible to blame “mass-immigration multiculturalists” in the EU for this when this is the policy of successive UK Governments.They could have stopped migration from the Far East with the stroke of a MInisterial pen but chose not to. I mean who would staff the NHS? Nothing to do with the EU. Migration to the UK of course has kept down wage costs but this is also UK Government policy. After all the UK has opted out of EU instruments to protect workers and their working conditions. But its all the EU’s fault!
Well said sir, well said
@John
that’s not true. Who allowed in the millions of immigrants under the cover of the “refugee crisis” even though these events always happened and we never opened our borders to the flooding millions frm Africa and asia…..Merkel and she has told us we are to be penalised is we refuse to take our quota. Not only that the mass movement of peoples from eastern europe AND all those non Europeans who initially get into another European country and then make their way to UK and Ireland. Your statement is just not factual.
You dont need to be Far right or Far left to understand the absolute mess that europe is currently in, Uncontrolled immigration that is nothing but detrimental, Brussels dictating it policy’s to every country without regard for its traditions or culture (TTIP for example) and Merkel, accommodating the Turks says it all really. What started out as a great trade and commerce plan has become a farce.
so Donald Tusk is determined to keep tge union at all costs and will speak to the German chancellor about it And there in one sentence is why people want to leave the German-led EU. He isn’t going to the French or Dutch leaders to see what can be done to stop the rise of the exit campaigns in those countries he’s going to go to Germany.
Of course he’s determined, who’d pay his ridiculously high salary without the EU?
So don’t trust platinum blonde hair is the new rule
We have seen over the past 5 years that the EU are pushing a policy to destroy nationality and sovereignty, leaving the EU dictatorship is the only defense native Europeans have to protect their home and people.
Over the past 2 years we have witnessed a “migrant crisis” by design to aid in this dilution of EU societies – the plan been of course to turn us into one mono-cultural EU empire.
The elites have not been secretive about this either – Goldman Sachs Shcill elitist Peter Sutherland has called for EU nations to undermine national homogeneity and has pushed for more migrants to be accepted
http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-18519395
Basically he is saying there are too many Irish people in Ireland or too many french people in France , what he is calling for is effectively genocide by displacement of the European peoples.
Another key architect of the “migrant crisis” – American/Jewish Billionaire George Soros has used his elitist position to steer the current mass migration towards Europe. George Soros along with US billionaire also heavily fund Immigration NGOs in Europe like mega Quango Immigrant Council of Ireland who actively fight our governments attempts to have sensible immigration policy.
The peoples of Europe must stand against their orchestrated demise, leaving the EU is the first step to doing that – The EU has f**cked Ireland in the azz over the financial crisis – Brussels and Germany are not our allies. Its time to say F*ck EU
I left out the second US billionaire who has a fetish for sponsoring 3rd world Immigration into Ireland – Chuck Feeney. He has given 9million alone to Immigrant Council of Ireland – the same org that have called for the illegal migrants in Calais to make their way hear illegally. They should be disbanded for encouraging people to break our laws and they shouldn’t be allowed to take funding from foreign donors who have their own vested interests
Well said John!
the Left screwed over the working class around Europe with their multicultural cr@p. Thank Merkel for this particular vote. Love Team Europe hate the EU!
It’s interesting that the media see this as a far right vote yet the AAA and Wally brigade see this as a vote for the far left.
It really shows how little is actually understood as to what the true implications of this will be.
Easier to demonise people as racists and bigots if you paint them as right wing.
The core on both sides is anti-capitalism. That’s the link.
Good point Mach
No it shows the far left and far right are as crazy as each other.
Wilders is still seen as a joke or a protest vote here in the Netherlands. The odds of a Dutch vote for leaving the EU are pretty slim.
Polling says otherwise and Wilders PVV have topped opinion polling in Netherlands for quite some time.
The PVV has 15 seats in the current parliament and support has dropped for them in the last year. Rutte’s VVD has 41. It would take an electoral miracle for Wilders to come anywhere near leadership, something which won’t happen here. Have yet to meet a person who sees him as anything more than a joke and I’ve been living here for 7 years.
Where do you live? Probably in the Ranstad.
I’ve lived in Groningen and Maastricht and he is not seen as a joke at all.
Rotterdam, so yes the Randstad. I’ve also worked in Amsterdam and spent quite some time there. Never met a person from these regions that supported him. The only support I’ve ever seen came from people living in Gouda but even then it was only tacit support which never materialised into hard votes.
I didn’t mean to demean your point, only to say that the majority of the Netherlands’ immigrants live in your area so of course they see him as a joke.
That said I’ve only lived way out in the provinces – including Wilders’ home province so my experience is coloured too, just in the opposite direction!
Jason, a few months back everyone looked on Trumps presidential candidacy as a joke but look how far he has come. Who knows what’s coming round the corner.
UKIP has 1 seat and look what just happened
Geert Wilders another patriot seeking sovereignty, independence and self determination for the Dutch people.
“Sovereignty is not given, it is taken” – Kemal Atatürk
Delighted to see Obama put in his place. People like him who have the temerity to tell people how to vote are repugnant.
Baltimore he didn’t tell them how to vote he just gave his opinion on what the consequences would be. Is that not allowed now? In case you haven’t noticed the US official line is that they opposed a Brexit because I presume it was not in the national interest of the US. I presume that UK voters opted for a Brexit because they considered it to be in their national interest. Are UK voters the only people allowed to express an opinion on their national interest even when their acting on it may hurt the national interests of others? Ar others not to be allowed to express an opinion. I think that the expression of opinions are fine after all its the vote that counts – as in this case!
Geert Wilders has a great comic book villain look about him
Guess the likes of isis wanted to destroy europe and this is the start of it… mass immigration has caused it
‘Europe’s far right’
You mean the groups who value their native identity and are sick of the multicult anti-white agenda!
I notice the article carefully avoids the whisper of the possibility of a vote being called for here!
Far right-a nonsensical term that applies to parties across Europe who wish to limit immigration.
Bear in mind some of these parties are socially liberal, many are socialist or extreme free market. Some see jews leaving Europe on mass as a problem, some see jews as a problem. Some of these parties have defended gay rights or abortion.
The far right does not exist in the sense the media says. There is a large distinction between a free market or socialist moderate or progressive compared the fascistic type at Golden dawn or the social conservatives of The National Front. The only thing these parties have in common is reducing immigration, which most people agree with. The myth of the rise of the far right
Should Ireland consider having a referendum to leave the EU also ??? Green thumb to leave or Red thumb to stay.
idiots for leaving. that is all.
Far-right? If they think the FN and the PVV are “far-right” they’re going to get a big shock when they meet the new up-and-coming generation of nationalists.
Left and right… I think we need a new axis, x, y and z!
Donald Tusk looks gobsmacked ha
it doesn’t matter. with basically a 50/50 split, half the concerned population were going to have a grumpy old time anyway. lets see what the future brings. Scotland vote again, a united Ireland, and an EU that will be prone to weakness if countries like Ireland demand improved conditions. afterall, we will be the only native english speaking country that remains – has to improve prospects for FDI from US companies.
mark carney’s sister in law is only married to a bloke called Cayzer. too close for comfort for the head of the BoE and ex Goldman Sachs boyo LOL
In the words of Frazier vetren of dad’s army. We’re DOOMED I say, DOOMED DOOMED !!!!!
Yes, Geert, “Hurrah”.
Like anyone says that, you Donald Duck resembling loon.
The racists are having a field day.
They probably are. But freeloaders won;t be anymore.
Can you tell us what you mean by racist?
(and please don’t come out with the boring, predictable……….you)
How about a 32 county Northern Ireland?
People didn’t give their lives in 1916 to oust the British and then invite Europeans to rule over us. Is it fair that European leaders make decisions for us even though we didn’t vote for them. Is it fair that the EU allows mass immigration and forces us to take in thousands of migrants even though we have huge problems of our own to look after first. I am not anti immigrant we need to play our part in helping the situation but I don’t favour it on such a large scale. But then again just because I want sovereignty for our own country so we can make our own laws I am instantly labelled a racist.
Now who is proclaiming “Ourselves alone” ?
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Identity is a construct, mostly used to set one herd of sheep against another herd of sheep. Nobody asked to be born in a particular place with a particular skin colour nor to be raised with a particular religion nor speak a certain language or like certain music. We’re all the same. But it wouldn’t suit rulers, for everyone to be aware of this. Their power depends on division. Nothing much is going to change because this is the way of the world. For a brief moment, Europe (however incompently) tried to climb out of this but now it seems the far-right is going to drag us back down again, with, strangest of all, the approval of the sheep. So much for education when still nobody really thinks. Strange world.
So there is no difference between a Chinese person and a Nigerian person. Aren’t you multiculturalists the peoples who chant “diversity is our strength”, but now you’re saying “we are all the same”!!
have your say