Denmark: Outgoing leader of the Danish People’s Party (DF) hailed as an important source of influence for right-wing radicals. “Through Pia’s leadership and influence on Danish politics, Denmark has become a proud and self-assured country that has fought for the ideals of freedom against Islamisation and decrees from Brussels,” Dutch politician Geert Wilders told Ritzau. “Pia Kjærsgaard has been an inspiration for many of her political friends in other countries.” – Copenhagen Post
Germany: “This story of a Muslim and a right-wing populist coming together is an unusual one. It’s the story of a man who has often lost his way, and perhaps it also reflects the difficulties faced by some French Muslims searching for an identity.” -Der Spiegel
France: “The leader of the French far-right, Marine Le Pen, is suing author Bernard-Henri Levy and Haïm Musicant, the director of Crif, the country’s Jewish umbrella group, for accusing her of antisemitism. If convicted by the Paris Court of Justice, both Mr Levy and Mr Musicant face a fine of up to 15,000 euros.” -Jewish Chronicle
Germany: “A Berlin court has rejected an emergency appeal by three mosques to prohibit a far-right group from displaying caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad at a demonstration this weekend. The Berlin administrative court ruled the caricatures were protected by laws allowing artistic free expression and their display alone did not violate laws against slander nor those against inciting hate or violence.” – The Independent
Europe: “As American officials sound the alarm over what they call a resurgent threat from the Shiite militant group Hezbollah, thousands of its members and supporters operate with few restrictions in Europe, raising money that is funneled to the group’s leadership in Lebanon.” – New York Times
Germany: “The deputy leader of Germany’s far-right National Democratic Party has been convicted of defamation over a 2010 speech in which he criticized a Holocaust memorial event. A regional court in the north German city of Schwerin sentenced state lawmaker Udo Pastoers on Thursday to an eight-month suspended prison term.” -Washington Post
ANALYSIS: “Most serious analysts trace the rise of parties like Le Pen’s National Front to the early 1980s, and note how some of their most impressive performances were recorded not during periods of economic decline, but rather periods of relative economic stability and growth. So let’s be clear: while the crisis may have cultivated new opportunities for populist extremists, it is by no means the cause behind their rise.” – Dr Matthew Goodwin, writing for Chatham House
