Far Right On Rise in Europe, says UK Report

London, Nov 8, IRNA – Right-wing parties and movements are on the rise and have become a force to be reckoned with in many Western European countries, a British think-tank has found in a new report published on Monday. The study by Demos warned that with the focus on the ongoing Eurozone economic crisis, European political leaders risk ignoring what it called “a political crisis bubbling under the surface.” It revealed that there were thousands of self-declared followers of hard line nationalist parties and groups, known for their opposition to immigration, their ‘anti-establishment’ views and their concern for protecting national culture. The report analyses the views of over 10,000 of what it prefers to term 'populist' supporters of 14 parties and street organisations in 11 countries across Europe using advertisements on Facebook group pages. It found deeply cynicism about governments and the EU, a generalised fear about the future is focused on cultural identity, with immigration and in particular a perceived spread of Islamic influence. The rise in the 'New Face of Digital Popularism' was aid to have gone hand-in-hand with the advent of social media, and the use of new technology to amplify their message, recruitment and ability to organise. Demos called on mainstream politicians to respond and “address concerns over immigration and cultural identity without succumbing to xenophobic solutions.” “People must be encouraged to become actively involved in political and civic life, whatever their political persuasion — it is important to engage and debate forcefully with these parties and their supporters, not shut them out as beyond the pale,” it said./end