Fascism is like a worm that infiltrates an apple: it may arrive wearing army boots, or it may arrive wearing kids gloves; so goes the song by the folk protest singer Sérgio Godinho. Yesterday, fascism arrived in Europe. There is no other way of putting it. In France, once home to the Paris Commune and stage to the Revolution, the National Front got 25 percent (victory). In the United Kingdom, UKIP gathered 29 percent (victory). In Croatia, HSP got 42 percent. 27 percent in Denmark (DF), 20 percent in Austria (FPO), 15 percent in Hungary, 13 percent in Finland (VS), 12 percent in Greece (Golden Dawn); 15 percent in Hungary (JOBBIK). Sweden elected fascists (SD); Letonia (VL); Lithuania (TT); Ciprus (ELAM); even Germany (NPD), of all countries. And where fascists werent elected, populists and demagogues were: 5 Stars Movement in Italy (22 percent), Marinho e Pinto (need I recall his homophobic, mysoginistic, and xenophobic comments?) in Portugal (7 percent), UPyD in Spain (6.5 percent)... A spectre is haunting Europe; but it is the wrong one. Its the spectre of reaction. Right now, I am living in a country where the majority of the electorate voted for a fascist party. I can barely breathe; the stench of Nazi scum in the air is too intense. Many years ago, I was standing in a tall building, watching the beautiful landscape of Berlin, where the memory of the last time Europe toyed with fascism is so incredibly present -- and for good reason. In that occasion, a friend (Rita Capela) wondered how it was ever possible that Nazism had happened. At the time, it all seemed like a bizarre memory of bygone times. In some way, it felt like History, capital-H, like freakish lunacy of past times that could never happen again. Well, it is happening again. And this is how. Poverty and austerity; scapegoating of immigrants; a Europe that has morphed into a fortress and whose de facto -- and unelected -- leader, Chancellor Merkel, claims it is not a social Union. Worse of all, a Europe that closes its eyes; that pretends nothing is going on. A Europe that is playing the game of Chamberlain instead of drawing from the graves of Durruti and Andrés Nin. Let yesterdays results serve as a warning. Let us make to it that the alarm is heard. Let all those who believe in love and in freedom join forces against racism, fascism, Nazism, nationalism or European democracy or whatever other names they conjure for themselves. Tomorrow as yesterday, they shall not pass! *** Soundtrack to this years elections: Pink Floyds Waiting for the Worms https://youtube/watch?v=0bDY0DfEjmo Waiting to follow the worms Waiting to put on a black shirt Waiting to weed out the weaklings Waiting to smash in their windows And kick in their doors Waiting for the final solution To strengthen the strain Waiting to follow the worms Waiting to turn on the showers v And fire the ovens Waiting for the queers and the coons And the reds and the Jews Waiting to follow the worms Would you like to see Britannia Rule again my friend All you have to do is follow the worms Would you like to send our coloured cousins Home again my friend All you need to do is follow the worms. *** PS: Not all is lost. Despite the federalist, conservative, liberal, and extreme rights all having been the undisputed victors of last night, some good news are worth registering. First and foremost, to the comrades from the Greek Syriza and from the Irish Sinn Féin: congratulations! The European and international left has much to learn from your crushing victories. From Spain, also, good news: the defeat of bipartidarism, with the absolute defeat of PP+PSOE and the ascent of the multicolored opposition, including noteworthy results from both Izquierda Unida and Podemos, and in Catalonia, from the ERC. Finally, congratulations to the Portuguese CDU for their position. Despite the Left Blocs utter defeat (unfortunately not compensated by either Livre of PAN), I want to congratulate also Marisa Matias, whom Im sure will continue her wonderful work, as she has always done. Youre worth three MEPs!
Posted on: Mon, 26 May 2014 12:53:53 +0000
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