The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse

High-level panel meeting on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination

Paris, 21 March 2005

ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance November 2005 The opinions expressed in the study on “The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic arguments in political discourse”, by Mr Jean-Yves Camus, are the responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of the Council of Europe or any of the mechanisms or monitoring bodies established by it.

ECRI (European Commission against Racism and Intolerance) Council of Europe F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex

Tel.: + 33 (0)388 41 2964 Fax:+ 33 (0)388 41 3987 E-mail : [email protected] Internet : http://www.coe.int/ecri/

© Council of Europe, 2005 First printing: November 2005

Photos © Council of Europe, 2005

Printed at the Council of Europe Contents

I. Introduction ...... 5

II.Speeches...... 7 Mr Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe ...... 9

Mr Michael Head, Chair of ECRI ...... 11

Ms Tana de Zulueta, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly...... 13

III. Study on the use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse ...... 17 Jean-Yves Camus

IV.Appendices...... 49 Programme ...... 51

Participants...... 53

ECRI Declaration on the use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse ...... 55

Charter of European Political Parties for a Non-Racist Society...... 57

ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance 3

I. Introduction

O n the occasion of the International Day and xenophobia in public opinion in many for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination Council of Europe member states. on 21 March 2005, the European Commis- Immigrants and refugees, especially sion against Racism and Intolerance (ECRI) those from Muslim countries, are primary organised a high-level panel meeting on the targets of politicians who exploit feelings of use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic insecurity in an increasingly complex and elements in political discourse, with the multicultural world. Most worryingly, the participation of the Secretary General of the theory of a so-called “clash of civilisations” is Council of Europe, Mr Terry Davis, the gaining ground. At the same time, Chair of ECRI, Mr Michael Head and antisemitism also continues to be encour- members of the Parliamentary Assembly of aged either openly or in a coded manner by the Council of Europe. certain political leaders and parties.

Deeply concerned by the increasing use ECRI therefore suggests in its Declara- of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic ele- tion concrete legal and policy measures, ments in political discourse, including by including self-regulatory measures which mainstream political parties, ECRI adopted can be taken by political parties or national on 17 March 2005 a Declaration condemning parliaments, to be adopted in all Council of this alarming trend which has been Europe member states. observed in many member states of the There is no doubt that political leader- Council of Europe. (The declaration appears ship can play a crucial role in combating in the appendix, p. 55). racism and influencing public opinion in a positive way. It is therefore of the utmost This trend, which is well documented in importance that political parties be involved ECRI’s country monitoring work, was as much as possible in the fight against further substantiated by an independent racism and intolerance as led by ECRI and study commissioned by ECRI in order to other national and international actors in investigate this dangerous phenomenon in this field. This high-level panel meeting, more depth. This study, carried out by the which brought together parliamentarians, political scientist Jean-Yves Camus, pro- representatives of intergovernmental and vides shocking evidence of numerous cases non-governmental organisations, research in which European or national elections centres and academics working on the issue, have given rise to the use of racist, anti- was therefore an important opportunity for semitic and xenophobic rhetoric, or other bringing this issue to the forefront of discourse which has an impact on racism national and international debate.

ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance 5

II. Speeches

Mr Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe

L adies and gentlemen, must be constantly mobilised against As we mark the International Day for these evils and campaign against them not the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, only on one day in the year, but each and let us remember the victims of the Sharpe- every day. ville massacre in South Africa on 21 March We in the Council of Europe have 1960 – the massacre which prompted the created the European Commission against United Nations to commemorate this Day Racism and Intolerance, ECRI, to lead this on 21March every year. Let us remember campaign, and I have come here today to at the same time all the other victims of show my active support for ECRI and its racism throughout the world, past, mission. present and future victims of racist vio- This panel meeting is bringing together lence and racial discrimination in their representatives of intergovernmental and everyday lives. non-governmental organisations, parlia- Racism is a violation of human rights, mentarians and academics, as part of this rooted in dislike for someone who is dif- campaign. The study by Jean-Yves Camus ferent, or contempt for someone who is contains some striking examples of the deemed inferior. When this dislike or con- use of racist rhetoric during national and tempt becomes hatred, it can lead people European elections. Since the report was to commit unspeakable crimes as the written, there have been other examples, horrors of the Second World War and the and there are worrying signs that we will more recent wars in the Balkans and the see something similar in the United South Caucasus showed to the whole Kingdom, one of the founding members of world. the Council of Europe, during the election The Council of Europe was born out of which is widely expected in May. the ashes of the Second World War, out of However, I should like to deliver two the desire encapsulated in two words: messages of confidence: “Never again”. It was intended to build a The first is that of the continual and new Europe, based on the shared values determined commitment of the Council of and principles of pluralist democracy, the Europe to the fight against all forms of rule of law and respect for human rights, a racism. Our action is not limited only to Europe free of racism and racial discrimi- pointing out what is wrong, far from it. nation. We also recommend various measures to Today, the principles on which the remedy the situation, and propose tar- Council of Europe was founded are still geted, concrete solutions. I expect that far from being permanently entrenched. the Chair of ECRI will shortly give us We must continually defend them – and some examples of these solutions. to do so, we must have a sound under- The second message is that of my hope standing of what threatens them. that the sense of responsibility of our poli- Racism and intolerance in all forms – ticians will lead them to resist the tempta- be it antisemitism, Islamophobia or xeno- tion to play with fire. But that in itself in phobia – strike at the heart of the idea of a not enough. At the end of the day, we democratic society based on respect for cannot build a democracy without polit- the equal dignity of all human beings. We ical parties. It is political parties which

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 9 can and should be our strongest allies in involved in this struggle throughout their achieving a society free of racism. political lives.

They should be in the forefront of our Tana de Zulueta is one of them, and I active campaign against racism, xeno- look forward to her contribution as well. phobia, antisemitism and islamophobia. Many European politicians have been Thank you.

10ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance Mr Michael Head, Chair of ECRI

“Taking a stance against the use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse”

T he findings of Jean-Yves Camus’ research groups. Only a few weeks ago, ECRI pub- confirm just how timely and useful the prep- lished its third report on Austria. This aration of this study was. addresses precisely the link between a ECRI’s mission is to combat racism, certain type of political discourse, the antisemitism, xenophobia and intolerance. decline in the general public’s support for But to do this we have to be able to identify asylum seekers and the adoption and the these phenomena in the varying forms they continuation of policies concerning this assume over time and in different contexts. group of persons, for instance in the areas of These contexts include public debate and, social assistance and use of detention, the within it, political discourse. conformity of which with human rights has been widely questioned. If we want to be effective in proposing viable solutions against the exploitation of Racist or xenophobic political discourse, racism in politics, we need to be able to particularly where it has been fuelled by the detect it: not only when politicians make media, has also already favoured a situation little secret of the prejudice that inspire where discriminatory or even violent behav- their statements or policies; but also when iour directed against certain minority the racist and discriminatory nature of groups is seen as more acceptable. In a statements and policies lies somewhere report on the published in beneath the surface and becomes apparent 2000, ECRI specifically addressed this issue, mainly as a result of time and repetition. particularly with respect to asylum-seekers. ECRI will be addressing the issue again in This study provides us with further its report on the UK which is to be pub- knowledge to enable us to do precisely this. lished in June. E CRI’s concern with the exploitation of Another of the immediate practical racism, antisemitism and xenophobia in effects of this sort of political discourse is political discourse has been a feature of our that it generates a form of political paralysis. work for many years now. This is turn deters measures which would be to the advantage of minority groups. It is, We have two main concerns. There is not for example, difficult to see the failure in just concern about the possible conse- Germany to establish an effective national quences on social cohesion of protracted specialised body as anything other than a and basically unchallenged racist or xeno- failure of political will. In Poland the pro- phobic political discourse in Europe, but tracted reluctance, so far, to prosecute there is also concern about what has already antisemitic hate speech seems to result from resulted from it. a straightforward unwillingness to It is a vicious circle of cause and effect. acknowledge the social importance of the Political discourse inspired by racial or cul- crime. tural prejudice and xenophobia has deeply shaped public opinion in Europe today, and A ccording to Mr Camus’ study, there has this has had in turn two effects: first, it has been a stabilisation or even regression in the favoured the adoption of measures which rise of extremist political parties in Europe have impacted disproportionately on certain which resort to explicitly racist or xeno- minority groups; second, it has affected the phobic propaganda. Of course ECRI is very human rights of people belonging to these pleased with this development.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 11 Even so, there are notable exceptions to Second, they should adopt and imple- this trend, as shown, for instance, in Bel- ment provisions penalising the leadership of gium. a group that promotes racism, as well as support for such a group and participation More importantly there are grounds for in its activities. even greater concern. Entire parts of the political platforms of extremist parties are Third, they should establish an obliga- being – or have been – imported, along with tion to suppress public financing of organi- the accompanying racist or xenophobic sations which promote racism, including rhetoric, by mainstream political parties. public financing of political parties, where such a system is in place. There are legal One field where this is particularly provisions in this sense in Belgium, for apparent is immigration. Here, the tone of instance. political debate, even among mainstream political parties, has not only hardened con- In addition to legal measures, ECRI sup- siderably – one only has to think about the ports self-regulatory measures that can be political debate around immigration in taken by political parties or national parlia- countries such as Denmark, Switzerland or ments. At the national level in the United Italy – but it has tended to stigmatise entire Kingdom and in Ireland, for instance, volun- communities, notably of non-citizens. tary agreements have been entered into by campaigners before elections, generally These communities have been targeted under the auspices of a national specialised and stereotyped by mainstream political body for combating racism. parties in many countries, particularly through the use of arguments centred not At the international level, we have the only around security (the fight against ter- Charter of European Political Parties for a rorism) but also culture – i.e. arguments Non-racist Society, which sets out guide- defining different cultures as pre-defined lines for acting responsibly when dealing and monolithic entities and, even more dan- with issues related to “race”, ethnic and gerously, entities incompatible with each national origin and religion. The Charter other. The debate on multiculturalism in the also encourages political parties to work provides a telling example of towards representation of minority groups this. at all levels of their party system. Signature of the Charter was explicitly supported, inter alia , by the General Conclusions of the B ut, as the Secretary General so rightly European Conference against Racism of pointed out, it is not enough just to analyse October 2000. At present, parties from some these manifestations of racism, antisemitism 26 states have signed the Charter. However, and xenophobia. This is not an end in itself. a mechanism for the effective implementa- For ECRI, it is a necessary step in the tion of the Charter is still needed. process of devising practical and viable solu- tions for governments to adopt to counter At the end of the day, however, one these phenomena. ECRI has already identi- cannot expect changes in political discourse fied a number of possible solutions, which I without recognition of the problem at the would like to share with you: very top. Ultimately, therefore, ECRI calls for courageous and effective political leader- First, member states should thoroughly ship which recognises the grave, long term implement the ordinary criminal law provi- consequences of responding to challenges sions against racist offences and racial dis- by inappropriate rhetoric based on racist, crimination. These are applicable to all indi- antisemitic and xenophobic language and viduals and not specifically to organisations assumptions. or political parties. Here, I should point out that, in order to address racism and racial I emphasise, finally, that the long-term discrimination in all its contemporary mani- consequences on social cohesion are not all festations, for ECRI legal provisions against that is currently at stake. Without effective racism and racial discrimination should political leadership we face the immediate cover behaviour based on grounds such as consequences of measures which are seen to “race”, colour, language, religion, nationality be disproportionate or unfair by significant (meaning citizenship of a country) and groups within our societies. This immediate national or ethnic origin. risk requires an immediate response.

12ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance Ms Tana de Zulueta, Member of the Parliamentary Assembly

“The role of politicians in combating racism, xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance”

I will join the previous speakers in bouring countries as safe. After all, immi- affirming in the strongest terms that racism, grants do not vote and do not even know antisemitism and xenophobia are a threat to their rights, let alone how to enforce them. democracy, the rule of law and the respect of In our time, fear of terrorism is pervasive. human rights – in a nutshell, to all the prin- What we considered as established rights ciples which are the foundations of our are being sacrificed to security concerns. It political systems. is exactly in times like this one that politi- I am supposed to talk about the role of cians and political parties are more than politicians in combating these phenomena. ever duty bound to show rigour, self- Instead, as a provocation, I shall start by restraint, intellectual honesty and integrity. reminding you how politicians contribute to Freedom of expression cannot be confused generating them. with the deliberate misrepresentation of Unfortunately, populism is a temptation reality; electoral popularity cannot be for many of us. It is easy to propose sim- obtained at the cost of encouraging racism, plistic and stereotyped solutions in intolerance and xenophobia and the failure response to the anxieties and uncertainties of some policies cannot be ascribed exclu- felt by our electorate in the face of the sively to their intended beneficiaries. changes affecting our societies. It is easy to If we do that, not only should we contra- shift the responsibility for the failure of vene the fundamental principles of soli- some policies onto particular sections of the darity, equality, human rights and rule of population, with the argument that they do law, but we would create a very dangerous not want to integrate, do not want to partic- world for ourselves to live in. Instead of ipate, do not want to adapt; basically, that fighting racism and social exclusion we they want to continue to be different. would generate more, and instead of improving the cohesion of society we would In reality, “difference” is part of the Euro- create fertile ground for extremism and the pean background. Our societies have been rejection of democratic rules. A dangerous, multiethnic and multicultural for a long undemocratic and violent world is certainly time. People belonging to different religions, not what our electorate wants. races or cultures have been living together for decades. Migration – in the two forms of The Parliamentary Assembly of the immigration and emigration – is well Council of Europe, assembling members embedded in our national experiences. Yet it from the parliaments of the 46 member is so much easier to say that immigrants and states, has shown several times to be aware minority ethnic groups do not want to be of the role of politicians and political parties integrated, rather than admit that we have in combating racism, xenophobia, failed to devise effective integration and antisemitism and intolerance. An alarm bell non-discrimination policies to enable them was rung in 2000 by the resurgence of to participate in society with the full respect extremist parties propagating and of their dignity and rights. It is so much defending ideologies incompatible with easier to deny the complexity of the migra- democracy and human rights. tion phenomenon and label all those who Since then, the Political Affairs Com- arrive in Europe illegally as economic immi- mittee – to which I belong – and the Com- grants, or all other European and neigh- mittee on Legal Affairs and Human Rights,

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 13 have a fixed mandate to work on this issue course of exceptional gravity, political and, when necessary, make recommenda- parties could be suspended, prohibited or tions to member states or the Committee of dissolved. Ministers. Of course, all guarantees should be given I said earlier that politicians are duty to avoid the arbitrariness of such a decision, bound to show rigour, self-restraint, intel- which should be implemented in the full lectual honesty and integrity. This view is respect of the rights and freedoms of the shared by the Assembly. In one of its most European Convention on Human Rights recent texts, the Assembly invited political and the Guidelines on Prohibition and Dis- parties to devise a new code of ethics based solution of Political Parties adopted by the on the following elements:1 Venice Commission. —their programmes and activities should Council of Europe member states, how- respect fundamental rights and freedoms, ever, should not hesitate to introduce spe- —political alliances with extremist parties cific legislation to this end, and to imple- should be excluded, ment it. —the transparency of financing should be We have to prevent any escalation of the enhanced, and tone of implicitly or overtly racist rhetoric —they should endeavour to propose plau- among politicians, including by dissuading sible solutions to the social and economic them through the threat of sanctions. problems which cause public concern. I am going to describe an emblematic Moreover, political parties have a duty to example of a possible response to racist be democratic themselves, and ensure that rhetoric among politicians, which occurred they are representative of all sections of our in my country, Italy, a country with a long societies, including groups that may be the tradition of emigration. Many of our emi- target of discrimination and racism. grants were the target of xenophobic behav- These recommendations, contained in a iour in the past, which might have led us to number of Assembly instruments and in the believe that we were immune to arguments Charter of European political parties for a and discourse of this kind. non-racist society, are not fully imple- In Verona, in the north of the country, a mented, even by mainstream parties with a political party, the Northern League, con- sound non-racist background. How many ducted a public campaign against the Sinti politicians of migrant origin do we know? community, despite the fact that is has been How many of them sit in the Parliamentary established there for a long time. Fortu- Assembly of the Council of Europe? Here is nately, the Sinti community was well organ- our first task: how can we be credible when ised and defended itself by bringing a legal we say that we want to fight against racism action under a relatively recent law (from and social exclusion if our party structures the 1980s) punishing incitement to racial themselves do not manage to do it? discrimination. Last February, the court not As I mentioned at the beginning of my only gave the leaders of this campaign a six- speech, politicians can unfortunately play a month suspended prison sentence, but, role in generating racism or intolerant atti- above all, banned them from holding local tudes in society. This can happen implicitly, office for five years and ordered them to pay through arguments which are not racist at 35000 euros in damages to Sinti organisa- first sight, or through explicit racist, xeno- tions. This was a first in Italy and is a clear phobic or intolerant discourse. reminder to political leaders of the accept- The sanctions against this type of behav- able limits to political discourse and of their iour should be proportionate to its gravity responsibilities. In my opinion, it is impor- and should be applied without hesitation, tant that the law-based state should issue a by the party concerned in the case of actions reminder of what these limits are. The by isolated members, or by the State, when Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly such actions are tolerated, supported or plays an important role in this through the conducted by a political party. resolutions it adopts in this field. In this The Assembly has clearly stated that in way it plays an educational role vis-à-vis our cases of racist, xenophobic or intolerant dis- national parliaments.

1. Resolution 1344 (2003) on Threat posed to democ- S ecretary General of the Council of Europe, racy by extremist parties and movements in Europe. Ladies and Gentlemen,

14 ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance I am grateful to ECRI for organising this shall report the outcome of our discussions event today in and for inviting repre- today to the Political Affairs Committee and sentatives of the Parliamentary Assembly. encourage the Assembly to take further Above all, I am grateful for the initiative of action in this particular field. giving visibility to the fight against the use I also hope that today’s presentation will of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic argu- raise the interest it deserves among the ments in political discourse by organising a media. A public stand against racist, antise- public presentation. mitic and xenophobic arguments in politics Politicians and political parties should be was urgently needed. This event is good called to order. I shall try to do my part. I news, and should be widely reported.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 15

III. Study on the use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse Jean-Yves Camus

Xenophobic, racist and antisemitic discourse in national and election campaigns between June 2003 and 13 June 2004: general analysis and national case studies

General introduction

I n 2004, in both west European and central targets immigrants and refugees, especially and east European countries, albeit with those from Muslim countries, and variants, parties that use racist, antisemitic sometimes Islam itself, as a religion, often and xenophobic political discourse are confused with its political expression, increasingly being censured, stigmatised Islamism. Lastly, I shall discuss the specific and therefore sidelined. The Charter of case of the resurgence of antisemitic acts European Political Parties for a Non-Racist and statements and the discourse referring Society adopted in 1997 and the range of to them, as well as the very scattered but national legislation imposing criminal pen- very real instances of antisemitic prejudice alties for expressions of racism, in political parties which nonetheless antisemitism, xenophobia and, as a rule, remain marginal. negation of the genocide of the Jews by the Nazis reflect a high degree of consensus on Finally, I shall make three case studies of the subject among democratic parties and the use of racist, xenophobic and antise- public opinion. Until recently, the use of mitic discourse in countries belonging both these topics in political discourse during to the Council of Europe and to the Euro- and outside election periods was more or pean Union: Belgium, the Republic of less restricted to parties classified by polit- Ireland and . To conclude this intro- ical scientists as far-right.1 As we shall see, duction, I should like to make one point these parties scored modest results in the clear. Firstly, a reference to a given political European elections, including in the party or country in this report does not in countries newly admitted to the European any sense imply an intention on my part to Union. But I shall show that under the stigmatise that party or country or make a pressure of both the international context value judgment denying its democratic (the rise of radical Islamist terrorism) and nature (except in the case of parties unani- specifically European trends (the shift from mously recognised as anti-democratic). All homogeneous to multicultural society in the parties mentioned operate legally, as evi- many countries, the fact of immigrants denced by their participation in the elec- settling and founding families and the toral process. Where one of them breaches economic crisis), racist and xenophobic discourse has been reinjected into the the law, it is for the courts of the country political agenda by traditional (conservative concerned, and for them alone, to punish or liberal and sometimes even left-wing) that party. Likewise, all the countries men- political parties or at least by individual tioned are democracies which support the members of those parties. I shall founding principles of the international demonstrate that this discourse primarily organisations they belong to (or of the Euro- pean Union or the Council of Europe). 1. For a theoretical definition of the far right, see the While the facts mentioned in this report call thesis of the Dutch political scientist Cas Mudde: for discussion and possibly for changes in The Extreme Right Party Family ; University of Leiden, attitude, and in some cases require legal 1998. For an up-to-date review of the forces within penalties, they do not warrant a blanket this movement: Pierre Blaise/Patrick Moreau (ed.): Extrême-droite et nationaux-populismes en Europe de derogatory judgment on the country con- l’Ouest, Editions du CRISP, Brussels, 2002. cerned.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 19 Part one: The far right, the traditional vehicle for racist, antisemitic and xenophobic discourse, has scored modest election results in recent years

A ny study of the use of racist and xeno- where ex-New Democracy MP George Karat- 1. Election results: an phobic themes in an election campaign pre- zaferis’ party LAOS obtained one seat with outline interpretation supposes an analysis of the presence of far- 4.11% of the vote. It was real in Slovenia, where right parties and their results. From this the SNS (Slovene National Party) scored 5.2%, standpoint, the outcome of the June 2004 with no seats, but progressed by comparison elections was undistinguished and cannot be with the general election held in 2000 (4.4%) regarded as a landslide for xenophobic and above all confirmed this trend in the nationalist parties. general election of September 2004, when it A country-by-country examination shows scored 6.6%. Lastly, the Latvian Fatherland a decline in Austria, where the FP scored and Freedom Party (LNKK), which ranked 6.33% and only one seat as against 23.4% and first with a score of 29.82%, is on the border- five seats in 1999. In Germany, far-right parties line between conservative right and far right. remain very much on the sidelines, since the There was a much smaller increase for the Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands Danish Dansk Folkeparti (6.8% as against (NPD) scored 0.9% and the Republikaner 7.1%) and the Swedish Sverigedemokraterna 1.9%. In the Front National admittedly (1.13% as against about 1%). In the Nether- progressed (9.81% as against 5.69% in 1999), lands the only reason for the increase was that but this increase should be viewed with the List Pim Fortuyn, which scored 2.6% this caution because the 1999 score was not repre- time, did not stand in the 1999 election. Lastly, sentative in the wake of the split caused by the British National Party’s score of 4.9%, Bruno Mégret leaving the party in January totalling 808,200 votes, must be viewed as a 1999, and the FN’s score was lower than its danger signal. While the British electoral score of 12.9% in the 2004 regional elections. system prevented the party from obtaining a The far right made little progress in Italy: seat, its score can nevertheless be regarded as Fiamma Tricolore, an unrepentant fascist high in view of its radical racist discourse. party, scored 0.7% where its predecessor, MS- Fiamma Tricolore, had scored 1.6%, though However, these successes should not be this loss was offset by the 1.2% scored by Ales- allowed to mask two facts. sandra Mussolini’s Alternativa Sociale list. Firstly, there is no far right at all in some These two parties obtained only one seat countries (Cyprus, Finland, Ireland, Luxem- owing to the electoral system, which borders bourg) and there are merely small far-right on full proportional representation, and while groups in several others (Spain, Estonia, the National Alliance party moved up from Lithuania, Malta, Portugal). Secondly, in the 10.3 to 11.5%, it can no longer be regarded as new EU member countries of eastern Europe, part of the far right. The (Northern xenophobic ultra-nationalist parties, many of League) showed only a very slight increase, which are the self-proclaimed successors of from 4.5 to 5%, perhaps due to the short-term parties of the same type that existed between effect of sympathy for its leader Umberto 1918 and 1940, suffered setbacks which Bossi, who was temporarily prevented from confirm the decline observed in the previous heading the list. national elections. For example, Miroslav So there are few cases in which the far right Sladka’s Republikani scored only 0.79% in the made significant progress. This happened in Czech Republic (1% in the general election of Belgium, where the Vlaams Blok’s score rose June 2002, when they lost their representation from 15.1 to 23.16% of the Dutch-speaking elec- in parliament); the Hungarian MIEP scored toral college vote, while the Front National, 2.35% (4.4% in the general election of April standing in Wallonia and Brussels, scored 2002, when it lost all its seats); and in Slovakia 7.45% of French-speaking vote (as against the SNS (Slovak National Party) imploded, 4.1% in 1999). This success was confirmed by with a score of only 2.01% (in the general elec- the regional elections held on the same date tion of September 2002 the SNS and its ally in and was indisputably the best result scored by the European elections, the PSNS, together a far-right party in western Europe. The scored 7%).2 increase was also spectacular in Poland, where the League of Polish Families (LPR) scored 2.For a synoptic table of the far right’s results in the 15.92% and the Samobroona (Self-Defence) European elections, see Searchlight Magazine , No. 349, party 10.78%. It was substantial in Greece, July 2004, pp. 25-26.

20 ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance 2. The far right: a brief A s I said in the introduction, these parties’ Sharon and sub-titled “Israel eliminates the analysis of its discourse racist, xenophobic and antisemitic dis- leaders of the Palestinian liberation move- course was widely heard during the cam- ment one after the other”, a reference to the paign for the June 2004 European elections, Hamas leaders. In the particular context of as in national elections, and remains the Germany attention should be drawn to main source of racist political discourse what political scientists call the “grey area” during and outside election campaigns. To between the conservative right and the far understand its scope, one must also right, consisting of periodicals and organisa- remember that even far-right movements tions that welcome contributions from with little electoral impact usually receive intellectuals and elected representatives broad and sometimes disproportionate who are not members of extremist groups. media coverage, which focuses more atten- Before enlargement, the new right journal tion on them and gives them a higher profile. Junge Freiheit, on sale at newsstands, pub- A series of examples will serve to illustrate lished many articles on the theme of the the far right’s racist discourse. “invasion” from eastern Europe, the “Roma- nian immigrants problem”, the “crime wave” The most radical expressions of racism and the “cost of Poland’s accession” – all var- and antisemitism are to be found in iations on the theme of the “danger from the Germany in the propaganda of the east”, the leitmotiv of German ultra-nation- Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands alism.4 (NPD), which achieved significant scores in one Land (Saxony: 3.26%) and in a number In Austria the FP continued to use the of Kreis such as Sächsische Schweiz (7%) standard xenophobic rhetoric to the effect and Riesa (7.7%), also in Saxony. 3 The NPD, that enlargement of the whose campaign slogans were Out of the was dangerous because of the predictable European Union, A Europe of fatherlands , For a influx of labour from the east. In May 2004, strong nationalist group in Strasbourg, is opposed Hans Kronberger, a candidate in the Euro- to Turkey entering the European Union and pean elections, thus came out against the in the April issue of its monthly Deutsche Greens’ proposal that enlargement include Stimme published a photo of Turkish women the entire Balkans, which he described as a loaded with large packages walking along a “highly explosive powder keg”. He also road, with the caption Europe faces another voiced concern at the consequences of Slo- Turkish assault. Another of the NPD’s major vakia’s accession, pointing up the problem concerns is Europe’s enlargement to the of Slovakia’s nuclear power plants. At the east: in an interview published in Deutsche same time, Magda Bleckmann, the party’s Stimme in April 2004, a party official, Rolf Secretary General, spoke out against Haschke, said that “millions of people from Turkey’s entry into the EU, referring to Poland, Hungary and the Baltic countries Islamist organisations’ action against the will cross into western Europe as cheap Turkish state’s secular system and stating labour and seek work, especially in Ger- that “if Turkey joined, Europe would be many”. Here, this exploitation of the usual financially and culturally overwhelmed”. antagonism between the German far right The FPÖ drew up a “ten-point platform”, a and the peoples of eastern Europe takes on sort of government programme starting special significance because the party con- with the proposal to introduce a basic cerned demands a return to the 1937 borders monthly income of 1000 euros. But the and sold a “Kalender des Nationalen Wider- second point is headed “Stricter regulation standes” (National Resistance Calendar) of immigration and the right of asylum: during the campaign, featuring an article on Austria is not an immigration country”. “the myth of the Reich and its historical bor- Along the same lines, the party launched ders” and another on “the Waffen two campaigns on asylum-seekers, one SS volunteer army”. Lastly, the NPD sets called “Asyl stop”, confined to the Land of itself apart from the other German parties Carinthia, whose Minister-President is Jörg with its use of openly antisemitic rhetoric, Haider and whose slogan is “Carinthia can’t as reflected for example in an article in the take in any more immigrants”, and the other June 2004 issue of Deutsche Stimme entitled called “Asyl eldorado”, calling for a halt to “State Terror under the Star of David”, illus- the giving of social rights to asylum seekers, trated by a photo of Prime Minister Ariel 4. On the theme of eastern Europe in Junge Freiheit: see 3.Full results available from: http://www.npd.de/ “Flut aus dem Osten”, in: Antifaschistische Infoblatt npd_info/ wahlen/europawahl_2004.html No. 62, spring 2004, pp. 42-43.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 21 who allegedly misuse the benefits given to extremist ties, as demonstrated by a text on them by the Austrian state. Lastly, the its website (www.dendanskeforening.dk) FPÖ’s head of list and sole MEP Andreas entitled Det nationale gennembrud; Europæiske Mölzer had acquired a reputation in the modstandere af multikulturalismen, by Peter past as editor of the Viennese weekly Zur Neerup Buhl, who includes among the Euro- Zeit, which was independent of the party pean opponents of multiculturalism his own but voiced the thinking of the national-con- organisation, the Vlaams Blok, the French servative movement and attracted attention Front National, the FP, the Republikaner on several occasions with its overt xeno- and even the Serb Radovan Karadzic and the phobia and antisemitic innuendo. Before he antisemitic Russian movement Pamyat. The was elected, Mölzer, who used to be list of recommended books on the same Haider’s cultural adviser, proposed to website under the heading dissident litera- several European parties including the ture includes the works of the above-men- French Front National and the Vlaams Blok tioned parties’ leaders, and others such as La that they set up an “anti-immigration group” Colonisation de l’Europe; discours vrai sur l’immi- in the European Parliament. He is a key gration et l’Islam by Guillaume Faye, pub- figure in the attempts to forge a permanent, lished in Paris in 2000 by the neo-Nazi pub- institutionalised link between European lisher Æncre – an outright call to racial war. 6 far-right parties. Just before the start of the campaign for the European elections, the newspaper Dan- During recent election campaigns in skeren also advertised a book by Rolf Slot- Denmark the Dansk Folkeparti’s xeno- Henriksen, who runs various anti-Muslim phobic ideology was expressed in the actual Websites, on the Islamist peril in Denmark. 7 terms used in the party platform – the idea that the Danish people are homogeneous in Extremist nationalist parties in Spain religious, cultural and ethnic terms, so that also made use of xenophobic discourse, and “the country is grounded in the Danish cul- Democracia Nacional, which aims to be the tural heritage, and Danish culture must modern spearhead of a far right that still therefore be reinforced and preserved”. The bears the stamp of the Falangist legacy, platform defines culture as “the sum of the extensively imitated the slogans and pro- Danish people’s history, experience, beliefs, gramme of the French Front National. The language and customs”. The party says party’s slogan is “Spaniards first”. Its “Denmark is not and has never been an favourite campaign themes are set out in a immigration country, so we shall not allow speech by its leader, Rafael Ripoll, at a it to be turned into a multiethnic society”. public meeting in support of the Swedish During the election campaign the party nationalist party Ny Demokraterna on 10 newspaper Dansk Folkeblad continued to June 2004.8 Naturally, the terrorist attacks devote extensive space to criticism of Islam, perpetrated by radical Islamists in Madrid for instance commending Ibn Warraq’s on 11 March 2004 offer the movement an book, Why I am no longer Muslim5 and placing excuse to claim that Spain, together with the article next to a photograph of a crowd other parts of Europe including Serbia, has of Muslims praying, with a few men in tradi- become a land open to conquest by Islam. tional clothing in the foreground, though According to Ripoll, like the rest of Europe, there is nothing to suggest that the picture our country is in a decadent downward was taken in Denmark. The same issue of spiral and the blow can be fatal: given the the newspaper contained an article entitled Third World’s population boom, combined “Den evige kommissær”, a long indictment with our falling birth rate and cyclical of Ms Beate Winkler, Director of the EUMC in Vienna, and of the work of this centre, 6. It will be noted that the Dansk Folkeparti does not state its opposition to a multicultural society, i.e. to which the article accuses of introducing a communitarianism, which remains a democratic new form of totalitarianism. The Dansk choice of social model. It rules out a multiethnic Folkeparti’s ideology should be viewed in its society, and therefore the presence of people from proper context: it is extensively influenced other countries, even if they are integrated into Danish culture. by the thinking of a private far-right founda- 7. R. Slot-Henriksen: Muslimke ekstremistbevaegeler i Den- tion, Danske Forening, and its newspaper mark, published by Rafael, 2003. The book, which Danskeren. Unlike the party, which seeks to was produced for Dansk Kultur Forening, is listed deny any connection with extremism, in Danskeren No. 1, February 2004. In his list of extremist groups the author jumbles together Hizb Danske Forening does nothing to hide its ut Tahrir, Salafists, the Sufis. 8. Posted on the party’s website: 5. Dansk Folkeblad, No. 3, 2004. www.democracianacional.org.

22 ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance economic crises, Europe’s peoples are clearly would put Morocco, according to the in danger of extinction”. Like other parties Foreign Ministry, I quote, ‘halfway between of the same ideological persuasion, the association and accession’ to the European movement describes the European Union as Union! But why stop halfway! When one is a “tower of Babel dreamed up by halfway, one doesn’t usually turn back, one internationalist oligarchs”. But its use of the carries on to the finishing line, and the “Muslim peril” theme (since Democracia finishing line is Morocco’s entry into the Nacional is also against Turkey’s entry into European Union, which would at least have the European Union) remains an isolated the advantage of being logical in view of the case although Spain was so deeply affected number of Moroccans already living in the by the March terrorist attacks: the entire Union, or who have dual nationality, that of political spectrum showed definite restraint their host country, France, and that of their when it came to exploiting issues such as real motherland, Morocco!” Referring to the immigration and Islamism, including during drastic security measures taken for the the campaign for the general election. ceremonies commemorating D-Day (6 June 2004), he also made an automatic Far-right parties in France, on the other connection between immigration, Islamist hand, kept to their traditional themes: the terrorism and France’s suburbs, saying, alleged links between immigration and inse- “Incidentally, it doesn’t seem to me very curity or terrorism and between immigra- logical to be afraid of terrorists arriving from tion and economic crisis. Bruno Mégret’s abroad to kill off Mr Bush when you only Mouvement National Républicain (MNR), have to put an ad in any slightly sensitive for example, campaigned on the slogan suburb to recruit all the volunteers you “Keep Turkey out of Europe” and, at the need!”. same time, “Islamists out of France”. In brief, the MNR’s policy is that “immigration is the In Italy the Libertà di Azione list headed nest of Islam in France and Islam is the nest by MP Alessandra Mussolini campaigned on of Islamism”. Two features distinguish this the basis of an insidiously xenophobic plat- party from its European counterparts: form, defining the essence of Europe as firstly, it is the only one to advocate “co- Greek in its thinking, Roman in its values of operation with moderate Arab countries” justice and civic sense, and Christian in the (which it does not identify) and secondly, it is one of the very few parties to explicitly values that shape and motivate it. It also challenge the on account of stressed that Europe was rooted in 3000 their alleged share of responsibility for the years of culture and history and, although it spread of Islamism – it urges the Americans did not call for foreigners living in Italy to to “stop supporting Muslim factions in the leave, it concluded that migration flows are world, especially in Europe, as they do in not inevitable. The fact that Roberto Fiore, Kosovo, Bosnia, Macedonia and Chechnya”.9 leader of the overtly racist and antisemitic The Front National also geared its campaign movement Forza Nuova, was in second to Turkey’s entry into the EU and to position on the list obviously sheds a dif- migration flows from Turkey and eastern ferent light on this platform. A government Europe. At the party’s end-of-campaign party, the Lega Nord per l’Indipendenza banquet in Paris on 10June 2004, Jean- della Padania, also makes regular use of xen- Marie Le Pen as usual stoked up fear of the ophobic discourse. A May 2004 issue of its influence of Islam and challenged Muslim newspaper, specially produced for the elec- immigrants’ loyalty to their host country, tion, included on page 6 a photograph of a even where they have French nationality: “In ship loaded with illegal immigrants, topped a Europe of 25 countries today and 27 in by the caption “Never again”, and the three years – and then why not 30, or 35, or picture of an election poster bearing the 40, with Turkey! with Kosovo! – France will headline “No to immigrants’ right to vote” have no more power or influence at all, it with a text including assertions such as will be a vassal of the Germans or the “The right to vote cannot be the starting Americans. […] Michel Barnier is even point of citizenship, it is an end point” and already thinking of introducing an “The right to vote is a symbol; no party can “exceptional partnership” – those are his grant it to immigrants, nor can Parliament, words – with Morocco! This obscure status only the people can”. The article on the same page welcomed the 61.5% increase in depor- 9. MNR leaflet: Islamists out of France: let’s put tations and the 37655 instances of immi- France to rights with Bruno Mégret”. grants being escorted back to the border

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 23 since the adoption of the “Bossi-Fini law” of centres in various cities in Padania such as 30 July 2002 on illegal immigration. Milan and Cremona. The National Alliance, Lastly, in the same issue, one of the Lega a right-wing conservative party which took Nord candidates in the European elections over from the neo-fascist Italian Social who was elected in June 2004, Mario Movement, used much more moderate lan- Borghezio (who holds the entirely unofficial guage on immigration and nationality issues title of President of the Government of and devoted minimal time to them in its Padania), signed an article entitled No to the election campaign. The National Alliance’s Islamic invasion which included the following position on the revision of the Bossi-Fini statement: “Islam has positioned itself in the law, stated shortly after the election itself world arena with strong expansionist inten- (29 June 2004), in fact confirms this atti- tions which follow highly specific strategies tude: the party proposed setting up a Min- for gaining ground in moderate Muslim istry of Immigration and making the depor- countries and in Europe”. The author, tation of illegal immigrants subject to a adding that under these circumstances there court order. While some of its proposals – is nothing unrealistic about protests against such as stricter conditions for issuing resi- the building of mosques in our countries, dence permits, or the possibility of approved of these protests on the grounds deporting a non-Community immigrant that for Muslims, the mosque is not only a who commits the offence of selling counter- place of worship but also a place for meeting feit goods – are indisputably stringent, the other Muslims socially and reinforcing their movement takes the opposite approach identity, making judgments on society and issuing political watchwords. On the basis from that of Lega Nord: according to Ignazio of a number of cases in which places of La Russa, the National Alliance’s national worship were proved to have been used to co-ordinator, “these measures are not simply propagate radical Islamism, the author then punitive, but also facilitate integration”. generalised about the link between the Integration thus remains an objective, existence of a mosque and the growth of ter- whereas the Northern League pursues the rorism: numerous investigations conducted aim of massively deporting non-Community by various public prosecutors have amply immigrants and halting migration flows, demonstrated that pro-terrorist activities and also confines itself to an ethnic defini- are carried out in mosques and Islamic tion of citizenship.

Part Two: racist and xenophobic discourse appears in mainstream parties

O ne of the most disturbing developments immigrants (including Italy, Spain and Por- of recent years is the fact that racist and tugal, while the “Chevènement law” in xenophobic discourse is no longer confined France has led to the regularisation of more to the fairly limited sphere of far-right par- than half of the country’s illegal residents). ties. Issues relating to immigration policy The tone of some democratic parties’ dis- and the right of asylum, in particular, have course on the subject has indisputably hard- become major factors in the electorate’s vote ened, to the extent that in several countries and a key element in political debate, espe- the majority of citizens are in favour of strin- cially in western Europe. As a result of the gent curbs on immigration and on the right events of 11 September 2001 and more gener- of asylum. It is not the purpose of this study ally the rise of radical Islamism, the theory of the “clash of civilisations” is now acceptable to give an account of the debates that have and it is permitted to query the Muslim reli- arisen on these issues in political circles and gion’s compatibility with democratic values. civil society in European countries outside In addition, the persistent economic crisis election campaigns, so I shall simply give a has justified proposals for curbing migration few examples of the way in which these flows in a few countries, though several have issues may have over-determined the elec- opted for mass regularisation of illegal toral climate in 2004.

C learly, the political option of rejecting national sovereignty, are democratic choices 1. The special case of federalism and preferring a Europe of which do not as such comprise any form of “Euro-sceptic” or “pro- nations, as well as criticism of the growth of racism or xenophobia. Xenophobia is totally sovereignty” parties Community prerogatives encroaching on absent from movements such as Paul Van

24ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance Buitenen’s Dutch list Europa Transparant was the British UK Independence Party and Hans-Peter Martin’s Austrian list. On (16.1% of the vote). Xenophobia was not the other hand, several “Euro-sceptic” lists UKIP’s campaign theme, since it focused made dangerously manipulative use of entirely on its slogan “Say No to European nationalist and xenophobic rhetoric, some Union”. But the head of list, journalist with the aim of taking votes from far-right Robert Kilroy-Silk, had already sparked parties (as the MPF did in France in relation controversy in early 2004 when he pub- to the Front National), but with the danger lished an article in the Sunday Express refer- of legitimising this type of discourse in tra- ring to the “Arabs who killed more than ditional right-wing and sometimes even left- 3000 civilians on 11 September” then wing parties. The distinctly right-wing “danced in the streets” for joy, also French list of Mouvement pour la France, describing them as “suicide bombers” and headed by Philippe de Villiers, geared its “limb amputators”. Kilroy-Silk was forced to campaign to the issues of Turkey’s entry resign from the BBC, where he had hosted a into the EU, immigration and Europe’s programme for the last 17 years, and said in Christian identity. The issue of Turkey his defence that he had meant the regimes of ranked second behind employment in the some Arab countries, not Arabs in general. MPF’s campaign platform, which supported He is not from the far right, but from “a European Europe in which France will Labour. UKIP, which was formed in 1993, preserve its identity and influence”. It was has always done its utmost to expel racist reflected in the campaign posters, which elements from its ranks. Its founder and first displayed the slogan “No to the Constitu- leader, the historian , had to expel tion; Keep Turkey out of Europe” next to the one of his own School of Economics photo of the head of list. The party launched students, Mark Deavin, who had become a a national petition asking the President of member of the party’s national executive the Republic to hold a referendum. Philippe and was in fact a member of the far-right de Villiers, speaking to his movement’s British National Party. Deavin had helped to youth members, justified his position as fol- write the antisemitic book Who are the Mind- benders? by Nick Griffin, Chairman of the lows: “Turkey’s entry into Europe means the BNP and head of its list. In 2001 one of the end of Europe; it is no longer Europe, but party leaders, Mark Lester, who is Jewish, Eurasia, as if France was applying to join the left the party after discovering that the African Union. If Turkey comes into Europe, UKIP manager for Scotland, Alistair Mac- there is a risk that the President of Europe Connachie, had written a letter casting might be Turkish: for my part, that is a pos- doubt on the scale of the Holocaust, and sibility I rule out. Turkey will be the top especially after the party executive had power in demographic terms, with more decided that the penalty imposed – a five- votes and more MEPs than France. Today it year suspension – was to be reduced to one is the hub of illegal immigration from the year.12 UKIP’s current leaders include whole of Asia into Europe”.10 The issue of Ashley Mote, who was elected MEP and has immigration was also one of the MPF’s “ten written a book entitled Overcrowded Britain: commitments” for the European elections. Our Immigration Crisis Exposed. The publisher The movement came out against “a commu- presents the book as follows: “political nitarian Europe” and stated that in the face correctness has hijacked our freedom to of the “immigration explosion” each country discuss one of the burning issues of the day. needed to take back the prerogatives that This book offers a full, open and if necessary Europe had conferred on itself for control- controversial discussion of immigration. It ling migration flows. The MPF also takes a looks at the facts and squarely faces up to highly restrictive view of what Europe’s cul- many of the consequences of mass tural foundations should be. After the Butti- immigration and the urgent decisions glione affair, it explained that “after the ‘yes’ Britain must take. […] Nine out of ten to Turkey and the refusal to refer to immigrants arriving in the United Kingdom Europe’s Christian origins in the draft Con- stay here. In social terms immigration stitution, we now have proof that the Euro- causes many problems that can only get pean Union has become an anti-Christian worse”. This is a more radical version of the club”.11 Lastly, the Euro-sceptic party that party’s official position that “immigration is scored the best result in western Europe 12.On individual relationships between UKIP mem- 10.Text available from http://mpf26.free.fr. bers and the far right, see Searchlight, July 2004, pp 8- 11. Press release of 28 October 2004. 9.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 25 out of control” and “Britain is full”. UKIP’s freedom from overcrowding by immigrants. election platform pinpointed “five freedoms” The platform obviously has xenophobic it intended to uphold: freedom to leave the overtones, although UKIP tried to distance European Union; freedom not to be a victim itself from extremists during the campaign of crime; freedom from “bureaucratic for the European elections. politicians” and “political correctness”; and

L ess frequently, racist and xenophobic dis- right to vote to non-Community foreigners, 2. The parties of the course can be heard even in potential gov- since the Electoral Law of 18 February 2003 parliamentary right ernment parties, usually when political provided for this right subject to five years’ debate causes the electoral agenda to focus residence in Luxembourg. on issues linked to national identity, immi- In Sweden the debate revolved around a gration and the status of asylum-seekers. I challenge to the well-established consensus have recorded a few examples of what can on access to social benefits for all European be regarded as outright “contamination” of Union nationals. The only parties to oppose democratic parties. access were Sverigedemokraterna and the In Luxembourg the general election and far-left party KPML(r) (Kommunistiska the European elections took place on the Partiet Marxist-Leninisterna, Revolution- same day. The Aktiounskomitee fir rerna). The Prime Minister Gran Persson Demokratie a Rentegerechtegkeet (ADR) himself (Social Democrat, Arbetarepartiet- scored 9.5% of the vote in the general elec- Socialdemokraterna) was in favour of it. tion, with 5 MPs, and 8.03% in the European After the trade unions in the transport and elections, with no MEPs. The ADR opposed construction sectors among others had Turkey’s entry into the European Union, voiced some discontent in October 2003, the since it considers that Turkey is not a Euro- government had worked out a compromise, pean country, partly for historical and geo- agreeing to this opening up of social protec- graphical reasons, but chiefly for cultural tion but at the same time calling for stricter reasons. 13 One of its MPs, Mr Jacques-Yves controls on undeclared labour and illegal Henkes, also tabled a bill amending the law immigration. of 3April 1996 establishing a procedure for Suddenly, on 21 November 2003, Prime consideration of asylum applications. The Minister Gran Persson changed his mind. In explanatory report to the bill takes up the an interview on Dagens Eko (a current affairs theme of asylum shopping, which in the programme broadcast every hour on the author’s view “prompts illegal immigrants main public radio station Sveriges Radio, to choose the country where abuse of the whose editorial staff are said to be close to asylum procedure has the best chances of the Social Democrats) he advocated success”. On 19 March 2003 the ADR sub- restricting the access of nationals of new mitted an application for an amendment to European Union member countries to social the Constitution, which would henceforth benefits, explaining that we want the free include the provision that “the national lan- movement of workers, but not social welfare guage of Luxembourg citizens is Luxembur- tourism. We must not be naive. He gish”. On 23 January 2004 it spoke out explained that the situation was outrageous against the government plan to open recep- because a European Union national needed tion centres for refugees. The ADR is also to work only ten hours a week to be fully one of the few European parties in favour of entitled to Sweden’s social benefits. abolishing citizens’ right to hold dual nationality. 14 It also wants migration flows This news was broadcast in a television to centre on the countries that have report on 11 November 2003 under the head- common cultural foundations and values, line “Anxiety about enlargement to the i.e. the current and future member countries East”, produced by journalist Johan Zack- of the European Union.15 The ADR’s demand risson Winberg in the programme Uppdrag was not met on the issue of granting the granskning, whose content was widely criti- cised for its xenophobic overtones. The 13.Press release of 24 September 2004. report was based on the case of an Estonian 14.Interview with Christian Schaak, of the ADR, on nurse who came to work for ten hours a RTL, Neen zur duebler Nationalitit, 19 January week in Sweden and immediately brought 2004. 15. The ADR proposed setting up schools for inte- in her husband, her two children and both grating immigrants through tuition in Luxembur- pairs of grandparents, all of them receiving gish. various social welfare allowances; it

26ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance explained, without proof, that this person Anne Frank, whose nationality was in dis- was costing Swedish citizens 320 000 Krona pute. But it is also apparent in political cir- a year. The report also included an interview cles: for several years now, many politicians with a representative of the Social Welfare have spoken out on the failure of the Neth- Fund who explained how people fraudu- erlands’ communitarian model. A striking lently drew allowances. The programme feature of the campaign for the European forecast that this fraud would increase after elections was the debate on the reform of enlargement of the European Union and the right of asylum carried out by Jan Peter explained that wages would fall as a result Balkenende’s government. On 17 February of this additional foreign competition on the 2004, despite criticism from a substantial labour market from probably tens of thou- section of the population and several human sands of east Europeans. Lastly, xenophobic rights organisations, , the prejudice was reflected in the programme’s (Liberal) Minister for Integration, got Par- closing sentence: “The question is: how liament to adopt a bill providing for the much generosity can we and do we want to deportation of 26000 asylum-seekers who offer?” had arrived in the Netherlands before 1 April This biased presentation of the issues 2001. Although the government regularised sparked a wave of protests both to the Prime 2300 asylum-seekers at the beginning of the Minister and to the interviewed official of year, those whose applications were the Ministry of Trade, who had simply rejected will now be returned to their coun- explained the existing regulations, which he tries of origin by 2007, regardless of the time merely applied. The Sverigedemokraterna they have spent in the Netherlands. This harnessed the content of the programme for drastic measure triggered a crisis in the its own purposes the very next day, sending ruling coalition: the head of the Liberal par- the media a press release which included liamentary group Jozias Van Aartsen long quotations from the programme. On accused the Christian Democrat Prime Min- 28April 2004 the Social Democratic Party’s ister of failing to give his minister sufficient proposal to restrict access to social benefits support;16 Balkenende replied that the bill for nationals of the new European Union would be adopted without amendments, in member countries was rejected when Parlia- spite of the discontent simmering inside his ment put it to the vote. The ruling party lost own party, the CDA, some of whose grass- by 137 votes for, 182 against and 4 absten- roots members were against the bill. The tions. Conservative leader Per Westerberg Prime Minister basically said that his party (Moderata Samlingspartiet) accused Gran had to introduce this reform, adding, “It isn’t Persson of paving the way for xenophobic easy, but it’s necessary”. According to a poll views, while Liberal MP Erik Ullenhag conducted by the NIPO institute on 14 Feb- (Folkpartiet) said, it is a shameful taint on ruary 2004, two-thirds of Netherlands citi- the European flag to propose that a citizen’s zens were in favour of more flexible legisla- rights should depend on his or her national tion for asylum-seekers who had been living origin”. in the country for more than five years. The On 7 September 2004 the daily Dagens debate on this new legislation fuelled Nyheter published statistics demonstrating numerous verbal excesses. On 24 January, that “social welfare tourism” had by no for example, Radio Nederland, a state radio means flooded the country, since the station broadcasting internationally, hosted number of applicants for residence permits a discussion of immigration issues with the recorded between 1 May and 31 August 2004 VVD MP , party spokesperson on had increased by only 780 over the same the right of asylum and immigration; period in 2003. student Jamila Faloun, Vice-President of the In the Netherlands xenophobic dis- Association of Muslim Women al Manar, course has hardened still more markedly in and journalist Robbert Bodegraven, pub- recent years, as evidenced by the success of lisher of the weekly magazine Contrast, pub- the List Pim Fortuyn in the 2002 general lished by Forum – the Institute for Multi- election. This success was short-lived, but cultural Development. In brief, Mr Blok said Fortuyn’s legacy is thoroughly alive. It is during the discussion, “Therefore we should reflected in civil society, as demonstrated by transfer the responsibility for learning the the poll conducted in November 2004 by language to the country of origin. I don’t the TV channel KRO to elect “the greatest Dutch person of all time”: Fortuyn was 16. Statement by Van Aartsen broadcast by the radio chosen ahead of William of Orange and station NOS on 2 February 2004.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 27 want the Dutch taxpayer to pay for the fact Verdonk nevertheless chose to contain it that somebody chooses an 18-year-old bride within the normal bounds of a democratic [from his country of origin], who may be discourse by stating that the Muslim com- illiterate, and then we have to pay for two or munity should not be held responsible as three years’ education to teach her Dutch”. such for Van Gogh’s murder, but according He also stated his view that “successful inte- to a poll published by the daily Algemeen gration calls for less immigration”. On the Dagblad on 6 November, Islam has a poor other hand, dissenting voices were heard image in the Netherlands. 79% of those even among the ranks of the Liberal party. questioned consider that the murder reflects But there were also some inappropriate a deterioration in the country’s social statements made by the former Deputy atmosphere; 51.7% do not believe the Prime Minister , for example, murder reflects a failure of Moroccan inte- he said that it was shameful to stigmatise gration, but almost a quarter (23.9%) Muslims and judge immigrants according to believe it does. Unusually, more women their degree of integration into Dutch (52.9%) than men (43.2%) take the view society. “Muslims are being stigmatised,” he that the integration of Moroccans has failed. said. “An entire religion is under attack, More than 80% demand extra measures to whereas most Muslims are moderate and combat Islamist extremism: a tougher judi- respectable people”;17 and then claimed, by cial system (65%), heavier prison sentences making an unacceptable comparison that (62%), deportation of militant imams (60%) the government plan to issue immigrants and stricter controls on mosques (52%). with a certificate spelling out their degree of 48% of those questioned are even in favour integration reminded him of the Second of abolishing the right to dual nationality. World War years, particularly the yellow The political outcome of this climate is that star imposed on Jews by the Nazis. This part if elections were to be held now (November of his statement prompted a forceful 2004), the new party that soon will be response from the Liberal leader, Gerrit formed by (ex-VVD) MP , Zalm, who regretted the wording of his who is firmly against the multicultural comparison and explained that government society, would become the country’s third 20 policy was “very much misunderstood”. But party with more MPs than the Liberals. the debate did not stop at the government Both Wilders and a part of the Liberal right bill on asylum-seekers. Another government are influenced by the neo-conservative foun- bill which provided for juvenile delinquents dation Edmund Burke Stichting, which from the Dutch West Indies who had com- published a second edition of its political mitted an offence in the Netherlands to be manifesto “De crisis in Nederland – en het sent back to the West Indies, recently had conservative antwoord” (by to be (temporarily?) dropped. The minister and Michiel Visser) at the beginning of in charge of relations with former colonies, 2004. The manifesto spotlights the prob- Thom de Graaf, took the opposite stance on lems of crime, “immigration and multicul- the subject from Rita Verdonk, who in the tural togetherness” and Islamism, expressly end set up a committee to “work out meas- referring to Huntington’s theory of the 21 ures to regulate migration” between the “clash of civilisations” and using fairly 22 Dutch West Indies and the Netherlands. 18 radical terms. There is also an ongoing debate on the issue This uncertainty about identity, based in of whether to make blasphemy a criminal particular on the obvious fear of the funda- offence. 19 Overall, the debate on immigration mentalist components of Islam taking root, and integration has been more impassioned also affects Scandinavia. In Denmark, for than ever since film director Theo Van Gogh example, the government had a law on resi- was murdered on 2November 2004. How- dence requirements for religious preachers ever, the Minister for Integration Rita adopted in February 2004. The text, inspired by the Dansk Folkeparti, is in fact 17.Statement of 6 June 2004, published by the daily specifically designed to control the entry of Algemeen Dagblad. imams into the country. According to the 18. On this point, see the Aruba newspaper A.M of 28September 2004. Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen, it 19.The CDA Minister of Justice, Mr Donner, suggested in mid-November that persons who committed 20. Algemeen Dagblad, 17 November 2004. contemptuous blasphemy should be prosecuted 21. Text available from http://www.burkestichting.nl/. more often under Article 147 of the Criminal Code. 22. Viz the title of the article co-signed by Spruyt and The Lower House (Tweede Kamer), however, plans Wilders in of 22 October 2004: “Halt the to repeal the article in question. import of Islamic culture”.

28ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance has so far been too easy for foreign mission- must give up all forms of luxury when it aries to obtain residence permits, while a comes to these individuals. 24 On 21 August government spokesperson said that the new 2003 the Deputy Chairman of the party, law was intended to assure us that [mis- Toni Brunner, elected representative for the sionaries] are worthy of the trust that canton of St Gall, took up the theme of the society shows in them by letting them enter. growing proportion of criminals of foreign The law in fact reflects the danger of far- origin and the more recent theme of criminal right ideas catching on in a country where tourism, comparable to the right-of-asylum the centre-right government’s parliamentary tourism mentioned elsewhere. He then majority is entirely due to the benevolent played on one of the favourite themes of neutrality of the DF, which can in return xenophobic populist discourse: the fact that impose part of its political agenda. While honest citizens are fed up with foreigners’ the guarantees required of clerics entering abuse of social benefits – “but the citizens of Denmark are not exorbitant in themselves this country don’t simply feel powerless in (a minimum level of education, financial the face of rising crime; they also feel very independence and membership of a recog- disturbed at the increasing abuse of our nised religious community), the double- social system”. However, this sentence was speak used in presenting the law is simply the prelude to a much more violent unhealthy: though the Prime Minister took diatribe: “In this country we don’t simply a literal view of the text, which applies to all offer a wage to imprisoned criminals so that religions, Peter Skaarup, speaking on behalf they earn more than they would doing a of the DF, admitted that “in theory these normal job in their countries of origin; no, rules concern all religions, but in practice we even allow whole families to enter Swit- they are aimed at imams”. 23 zerland illegally and send their children to I shall conclude this overview with the school, even without having residence per- case of Switzerland. In elections to the mits, and benefit from a highly developed National Council on 19 November 2003, the public health system. There are even leaflets Swiss People’s Party (Schweizerische Volk- giving undocumented immigrants and other spartei) became the country’s top party illegal entrants precise instructions on how with 26.6% of the vote. The SPP is a typical to get social benefits. Not to mention the example of those government parties which pseudo-refugees whose asylum applications belong neither historically nor ideologically have been rejected, but who still manage to to the far right, but to the agricultural right, stay in Switzerland by all sorts of tricks, by and have evolved over the years, in this case fictitious marriages or simply by digging under the leadership of the current Minister their heels in. If they’re clever enough, they of Justice Christoph Blocher, towards xeno- even get themselves an AI pension to live off phobic populist positions reflected in comfortably in their countries of origin – speeches on the need to halt immigration which they fled because they were allegedly 25 and reduce the number of asylum-seekers persecuted there”. ( requérants d’asile, as the Swiss call them). The party’s September 2003 platform During the general election campaign, document entitled “In favour of an inde- SPP representatives again targeted asylum- pendent foreign policy” confirms that the SPP is extremely suspicious of anything that seekers. At a press conference on 6 January 2003, Yvan Perrin, municipal councillor for comes from abroad, and particularly from La Côte aux Fées in the canton of Neuchâtel, the European Union. It repeats the party’s view that joining the European Union spoke out against criminal asylum-seekers in terms that amounted to generalisation, would level Switzerland down: “Switzer- repeatedly referring to drug trafficking, land’s accession to the EU must be rejected essentially for economic reasons. It would criminals, acts of violence and racketeering. He added that conditions of detention for have many disadvantages for the Swiss criminal asylum-seekers and criminal illegal economy, especially higher taxes and rents and declining prosperity”. The document immigrants should not be the same as for other prisoners, echoing an argument com- also comes out against the Schengen and monly brought up in xenophobic security- Dublin agreements on the grounds that signing them would leave Switzerland with oriented discourse – that of the privileged conditions of detention granted to for- 24. Text available from http://www.svp.ch/ eigners, which prompted him to say, We ?page_id=176&1=3. 25. Text available from http://www.svp.ch/ 23.Quoted by the Guardian on 19 February 2004. index.html?page_id=612&1=3.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 29 a “security deficit” because there would be published in June 2004, stated the SPP’s no more border controls. usual line: “this practice [ author’s note :easier Lastly, the SPP made wide use of xeno- naturalisation] will make our country still phobic discourse during its campaign for more attractive to foreigners without the two popular votes held on 26 September resources or training who come to 2004 with a view to facilitating the naturali- Switzerland solely to be naturalised and sation of second and third generation for- thus enjoy the generous social benefits eigners. This time a campaign poster was provided for Swiss citizens. even more telling than the party’s writings In May 2004 the SPP counterattacked and speeches: the SPP poster showed a box with a proposal for a popular initiative enti- full of Swiss passports towards which tled In favour of democratic naturalisations, hands, several of them coloured, were which involved restoring exclusive power to stretching out with a grasping air. The the municipalities to decide by a vote caption was “Mass naturalisations? Twice whether a candidate for Swiss nationality NO to the naturalisation plans”. At a press was to be naturalised. This meant reversing conference on 13 August 2004, National the decision given in mid-2003 by the Councillor Ulrich Schlüer, representing the Federal Tribunal, which had ruled that as a canton of Zurich, revealed the party’s true vote on the matter was not subject to thinking: he claimed it was a “deceitful plan appeal, the right to decide on naturalisation for mass naturalisations” – wording could no longer be conferred on citizens and designed to conjure up the fantasy of the any decision to reject an application should native population being swamped by for- be subject to appeal. The text presenting the eigners. The text would introduce “integra- proposal also contained a xenophobic tion by order, not in reality”, simply because passage aimed at a fairly specific target: the the SPP considered the criteria for becoming SPP explained that in Switzerland the state Swiss too lenient (five years’ study in Swit- has the monopoly of violence and that as a zerland). What the party criticised was the result, the practice of vendetta and violence plan to allow the law, instead of the resi- for purposes of personal revenge was pro- dents of the municipalities concerned, to say hibited; it concluded that the citizens of this who could become Swiss. It claimed that the country are therefore entitled to refuse the government (which nevertheless included right of citizenship to individuals or members Christoph Blocher in the key post of Min- of ethnic groups for whom the principle of per- ister of Justice) maliciously intended to sonal revenge in response to an injustice carry out “mass naturalisations by elimi- they have suffered […] is self-evident. This is nating the sovereign ( author’s note: the clearly aimed at refugees from the Balkans, people) for the sole purpose of vamping up who are one of the SPP’s regular targets, and the statistics on foreigners.26 On the same possibly at Muslims. Above all, the SPP does date National Councillor Jasmin Hutter (St not consider individuals’ acts alone, but Gall) said that naturalisation must neither their membership of an entire group sus- be degraded nor made automatic.27 She used pected of perpetuating local customs in an interesting line of argument against Switzerland. It is this jump to a presump- selling off the right to Swiss citizenship, tion of collective guilt that makes the dis- drawing on the results of the Irish course xenophobic. referendum, which she said had been held to Racist and xenophobic discourse is also stop citizenship tourism. On the same date, used by democratic parties in eastern Yvan Perrin expressed indignation at Europe, in the countries newly admitted to fictitious marriages and the fact that not the EU. The controversy that marked the much attention is paid either to the first four months of 2004 in Slovenia over possibility of a criminal past or to the plans to build a mosque in the capital knowledge of one of the national languages. Ljubljana was a typical case of exploitation Quite obviously, being married to a Swiss of xenophobia, in a country which is never- citizen is enough for a foreigner to be theless highly democratic and ethnically considered both honest and integrated. The homogeneous and has never been hit by ter- party’s official manifesto on the subject rorism. Slovenia has only about 50000 entitled “Twice No to mass naturalisations”, Muslims out of 2 million inhabitants; most of them come from the countries of former 26. Text available from http://www.svp.ch/ index.html?page_id=1191&1=3. Yugoslavia (Bosnia and Macedonia), and 27. See http://www.svp.ch/ they have been trying to secure a place of index.html?page_id=1192&1=3. worship since 1969. In December 2003 the

30 ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance municipality of Ljubljana agreed to the con- or without legal status, while 11,000 left the struction of what was to be the country’s country. Prime Minister Anton Rop’s one and only mosque. However, a petition centre-left government called on the elec- launched by the ultra-nationalist municipal torate to boycott the referendum, which councillor Mihael Jarc28 (Slovene People’s was held with the support of the opposition Party – SLS) and signed by 12000 citizens parties. About 30% of the 1.6 million regis- prompted the municipal council to consider tered voters took part in it. The law on the holding a local referendum on the project in manner in which the rights of “deleted” April 2004, although the mayor, Danica persons could be restored was rejected by Simsic (Union List of Social Democrats – 94.6% of the voters, while 3,8% voted in ZLSD) had decided to ask the Constitu- favour. The outcome will not have any legal tional Court whether such a referendum consequences: an authoritative decision by was legal. At Christmas 2003 the Catholic the Constitutional Court requires the Min- Archbishop of the capital, Mgr France Rode, istry of the Interior to give the persons con- announced that he was against the project cerned permanent residence permits. But and said on the television channel Pop TV, the campaign was smattered with xeno- “Slovenian policy-makers must ask them- phobic statements. Firstly, Dr Miha Brejc, selves whether they are in favour of a polit- Deputy Chairman of the Social Democratic ical centre representing another culture Party (SDS) and one of those who promoted establishing itself on Slovenian territory. I the referendum, wanted to prevent former myself am taking my distance on this officers of the Yugoslav People’s Army issue”. 29 The Mufti of Slovenia, Osman (JNA) from being covered by the law: “No Djogic, answered that Slovenia’s Muslims former officers of the Federal Army!” he said, wish to live in an atmosphere of tolerance “We don’t agree that these 450 officers, or with their fellow-citizens of other religions”. perhaps more, should be given what they To date, although the local referendum was don’t deserve – they acted against us!”. Sec- not held in the end, and in spite of Danica ondly, in February, Janez Jansa, Chairman of Simsic’s support for the planned mosque, the SDS party, claimed that the injustices the latter has not yet been built. The cam- committed against those who had been paigns for the European elections and the deprived of their rights had affected “a few October 2004 general election in Slovenia illiterate cleaning women”,30 an obvious were marked by two other instances of xen- allusion to former Yugoslav citizens from ophobia. Firstly, according to the daily Delo Croatia, Serbia, Bosnia and Kosovo, and to (1 February), Prime Minister Anton Rop Roma. (Liberal Democratic Party – LDS) described I now come to the borderline case of the leader of the populist opposition party Poland, where two Catholic-inspired31 Nova Slovenia as “Argentinian citizen Anton parties which are against joining the Euro- Bajuk”, although the latter is Slovenian and pean Union, regarded by some as retiring was born in Ljubljana, even if his family emi- and by others as far-right, achieved high grated to South America after 1945. Sec- scores last June: the League of Polish Fami- ondly, on 4 April 2004, the Slovenians voted lies (Liga Polskych Rodzin), whose pro- in a referendum on restoring the rights of gramme states its aim of fighting to ensure persons “deleted” from the register of per- respect for Catholic morality and keep the manent residents in February 1992. In national heritage in Polish hands, and Self- October 2003 Parliament had adopted a law Defence (Samoobrona), whose leader retroactively restoring permanent resident Andrzej Lepper carefully avoids such status to the thousands of citizens who had phrases and simply proposes a programme been illegally deleted from the state registers based on a social market economy as advo- in 1992, thereby losing their rights: when cated by several European Churches.32 Slovenia became independent, more than Nonetheless, two types of xenophobic dis- 30 000 former Yugoslav citizens were deprived of all their rights overnight. 30.Remarks quoted by the daily Mladina on 15 March According to official figures, 18 000 people 2004. 31. While both parties state in their platforms that they were left with temporary residence permits draw their inspiration from the Church’s social doc- trine, it is quite clear that neither has ever received 28. He said on BBC news on 2 April 2004, “In the the slightest mark of approval either from the Polish Middle Ages our ancestors were attacked by Church or from the Vatican or a fortiori from Pope Muslim soldiers who did nasty things here. It’s our Jean-Paul II. historical subconscious”. 32.Speech before the European Parliament on 4 May 29. Reported by the daily Dnevnik on 18 January 2004. 2004.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 31 course operate in these movements’ policies: The League of Polish Families (LPR) exudes firstly, anti-German rhetoric – especially in the same anti-Jewish prejudice, and so to an Samoobrona, a populist agrarian party – due even greater extent does the radio station to fear of the return of those who were close to the party, Radio Maryja, headed by expelled, chiefly from Silesia, and are sus- the redemptionist priest Tadeusz Rydzyk (a pected of wanting to retrieve their land, station alleged to have 4 to 6 million lis- which would be all the easier because of teners). In 2004 the convicted antisemitic Germany’s strong economy and the wide propagandist Dariusz Ratajczak said on the income gap between the two countries; sec- radio station, Since the Holocaust has been ondly, anti-Jewish rhetoric, a peculiar form on the school curriculum, everyone believes of antisemitism without Jews (who now that Auschwitz was a death camp rather number only about 3000 as against 3 than a normal labour camp. He added, In a million in 1939), based mainly on popular Catholic country like Poland, as long as and religious prejudice. Thus, the Samoob- most ministers are Jewish and stink of rona MP Rafal Majewski voiced his anxiety onions, Poland will never be Polish.34 The at the number of Israelis of Ashkenazi origin newspaper Nasz Dziennik and the television who in his view were likely to emigrate to channel TV Trwam, which belong to the Poland to flee a difficult situation in the same group, undoubtedly played a major Middle East. “Their influence is growing in role, together with Radio Maryja, in the Poland,” he said. “They are buying property LPR’s and Samoobrona’s winning their and investing in businesses. Poles don’t electorate in the European elections. want to feel like second-class citizens in their own country”. He added, “I don’t want 33.Majewski made these remarks, which were it thought that I am speaking out against reported by the English-language newspaper Gulf News on 3 June 2002, during a trip to Dubai, where Jews, but we want to preserve our children’s this daily is published. rights”, also saying he was convinced that 34. See Sarah Elsing in: http://www.cafebabel.com/fr/ “60% of the press is controlled by Jews”.33 of 28 May 2004.

Part Three: Antisemitic rhetoric in the European election campaign remains marginal, but importing the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into national political debates is likely to generate excesses

A ntisemitic rhetoric played only a mar- interest, marriage at adolescence, introduc- ginal part in the European election cam- tion of sexual segregation in public places paign, as it did in the earlier national elec- and schools, setting up of a statutory alms tion campaigns. However, new trends fund), but with no antisemitic slant, not include ethnic and religious lists, many even a reference to the Middle East situa- inspired by a form of Islam that can be tion. The PCP on the other hand, headed at described as fundamentalist, standing for the time by the Salafist Jean-François election either in an attempt to organise a Bastin, not only had a programme calling for political party or to express, via a grassroots the Sharia to be introduced as the country’s organisation, a form of antizionism which law for Muslims, but also had very close ties has antisemitic overtones or associations. In to the Molenbeek Islamic Centre and its national elections, this trend was most imam, Sheikh Bassam Ayachi. The centre’s apparent in Belgium. Two Islamist parties website Assabyle.com had been prosecuted stood in the general election of 18 May 2003 following a complaint lodged in 2002 by the (results for the Chamber of Representatives Centre pour l’Egalité des Chances et la Lutte only): Noor (1 141 votes; 0.02%) and the contre le Racisme (Centre for Equal Oppor- Parti Citoyenneté Prospérité (PCP – Citi- tunities and Action Against Racism) on zenship Prosperity Party) (8 258 votes; account of the website’s Jihadist and anti- 0.13%), as well as the “Resist” list (10059 semitic content, which overtly advocates votes; 0.15%) produced by the alliance of a the destruction of the State of Israel. 35 far-left party (the maoist Belgian Labour Because of the legislation on antisemitism, Party) and a radical Islamic/Arab nationalist the PCP’s discourse is heavily coded. Its pro- party (the European Arab League – EAL). gramme for the 2003 election thus stated its The Noor Party had a highly reactionary opposition to “certain obscurantist religious platform comprising various points mod- tendencies which claim to combat or elled on the Sharia (abolition of banking dismiss economic and technical advances

32 ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance conducive to general prosperity” and to “any dissolving it (under the law of 29July 1934 ideology, doctrine, party or ethnic group banning private militias) on account of its that monopolises political, economic or cul- decision to set up a private militia to patrol tural power solely in its own interest, to the neighbourhoods with a large immigrant detriment of distinct original modes of population, officially for self-defence expression”. The PCP, which also con- purposes, after the murder of Mohammed demned “ultra-liberal big capital”, thus used Achrak, a young teacher of Moroccan origin, a battery of anti-Jewish clichés which by a 60-year-old racist in Antwerp on feature in standard far-right discourse as a 26November 2002, followed by two nights means of designating the Jewish commu- of rioting between EAL activists and the nity, without naming it, as the source of the police, which the League accuses of country’s ills. During its campaign for the institutional racism. European elections, the PCP (which no longer includes Bastin among its members) The second issue that arose was the possi- distributed a leaflet entitled “Sheikh Bassam bility of proceedings to withdraw Belgian calls you to vote PCP – List 16”, illustrated nationality (under Article 23 of the Nation- by a photograph of the Omar Mosque in ality Code) from Dyab Abou Jahjah, leader Jerusalem surrounded by Israeli tanks and of the EAL, on the grounds that he had lied soldiers, with Palestinian women and chil- to obtain Belgian nationality in 1996. Lastly, dren in tears beside them. The daily Le Soir the possibility of both prosecuting and dis- (15 June 2004)36 described the leaflet as solving the League was raised after it held a intended to “import the Israeli-Palestinian demonstration in favour of the Palestinian conflict and stoke up hatred in passing”. The people near the Jewish district of Antwerp party defended it on the grounds that on 1 April 2002; the demonstration sparked “Palestine symbolises the suffering antisemitic excesses such as a firebomb potentially generated by state terrorism. It being thrown at a synagogue on the pre- also symbolises cohabitation between the vious night and demonstrators breaking the three great monotheistic religions, which windows of Jewish shops and publicly could very easily live in harmony if the burning a dummy wearing the traditional country was not under the yoke of a orthodox Jewish hat. In the end, the Centre seemingly democratic, but in fact selfish and pour l’Egalité des Chances et la lutte contre racist tyrannical regime which oppresses le Racisme lodged a complaint against the one people the better to satisfy another”. EAL, which had a text posted on its website The third grouping, “Resist”, was closely stating that “Antwerp is the bastion of dependent on the radical antizionist slant of Zionism in Europe, which is why its must the European Arab League, which expresses become the Mecca of pro-Palestinian views close to those of the Lebanese action”. Over and above the issue of Hisbullah. Underlying its simultaneously antisemitism, other EAL activities during Islamist and Arab nationalist (namely the 2003 and 2004 election campaigns Nasserist) ideology is a form of antizionism helped to heighten its intolerant image. In which does little to mask antisemitism. 2003, when the Flemish ecology party “Resist” in fact refers to Israel as the “Zionist Agalev put up posters in the streets showing entity” ( zionistische entiteit in its Flemish- a homosexual couple in traditional Muslim language documents). During the campaign clothing, the EAL demanded the with- for the 2003 general election the controversy drawal of the posters, which it considered surrounding the EAL revolved around offensive to Islam, and official apologies several issues. Firstly, the possibility of from the ecologists. As none were forth- coming, death threats were twice made 35. Assabyle closed down in spring 2004 after the Brus- sels Court in Chambers referred its Webmasters against the Chairman of the Agalev youth Abdelrahmane Ayachi and Raphaël Gendron to the organisation, Karim Bouziane. In 2004 Abou Criminal Court on 7 May 2004 for contravening the Jahjah also campaigned in favour of women laws against racism and negationism. The com- wearing the Muslim headscarf; he held a plaint concerned a text posted on the website explaining that “Nazism and Zionism are the same” demonstration on this issue in Brussels on and comparing the body movements of David Levy, 22 February 2004 and on the same day sent former Israeli Minister for Foreign Affairs, to those an EAL delegation to the demonstration of Adolf Hitler. The website immediately reap- held in Paris for the same reason. On 28 June peared under the name www.ribaat.org. 36. M. Bousselmati, “Des prémices d’extrême droite 2003, the EAL took note of the failure of musulmane” (The beginnings of a Muslim far right), “Resist” and founded the Muslim Demo- Le Soir, 15 June 2004. cratic Party, which scored 0.1% of the

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 33 Dutch-speaking college vote in the regional nity and with George Bush’s blessing” and election of June 2004. As the League had set the “constant blackmail designating those up a Dutch branch headed by Mohamed who demand a just peace in the Middle East Cheppih, the same controversy broke out in as antisemitic” and the construction of an the Netherlands. On 5 May 2003, during the “apartheid wall”. However, these expres- celebration of the end of the German occu- sions of antizionism remained within the pation of the Netherlands, Islamist sup- legal bounds of normal ideological dispute. porters of the EAL chanted antisemitic But in Paris on 8 June, the list’s big cam- slogans and tried to burn an Israeli flag paign meeting took on a different tone when before they were arrested by the police. Dieudonné denounced “Zionist propa- ganda” as being all-powerful in France, and the writer Alain Soral and the artist Siné got Among the controversies that arose during the audience to whistle at the names of the campaign for the European elections, various French Jewish personalities, and to there is the unique case of the Europalestine identify and name the authors of various list, which stood in France, in the Ile de pro-Israel quotations: this gave the audience France region only; it scored an average of the opportunity to boo, with all the anti- 1.83% of the vote, but exceeded 5% in Semitic connotation given by the list, Roger several municipalities on the outskirts of Cukierman, President of the CRIF (Repre- Paris with large Muslim populations.37 The sentative Council of the Jewish Institutions Europalestine list was in fact mounted by an of France), Dominique Strauss-Kahn, pre- association supporting the Palestinian sented as a member of the “Zionist party”, people, the Coordination des Appels pour the historian Alexandre Adler and the phi- une Paix juste au Proche-Orient (CAPJPO – losopher Alain Finkelkraut. Speeches were Co-ordination of Appeals for a Just Peace in made by Tawfik Mathlouti, founder of the the Middle East), whose policy is to intro- private Paris radio station Radio-Méditer- duce the Middle East issue into French ranée, who never names Israel and refers to political debate whenever an election takes it as “the Zionist entity”, and by Christophe place. This approach was disavowed by Ms Oberlin, head of the Europalestine list, who Leila Shahid herself, the General Represent- accused Israel of being “a racist country” and ative of the Palestinian Authority in France, Patrick Gaubert, UMP candidate for Ile de who termed it “counter-productive” and France and President of the LICRA (Inter- asked for the list to be withdrawn. The first national League Against Racism and ingredient in the controversy was the pres- Antisemitism) of “waving the flag of ence on the list of the Franco-Cameroonian antisemitism”. These speeches may raise the comedian Dieudonné M’Bala M’Bala, who question of whether the boundary has not had caused considerable upset during the been crossed between free judgment of campaign with a television sketch that the Israeli policy and systematic criticism of authorities representing the Jewish commu- individuals on the basis of their religious nity in France and anti-racism organisations affiliation, together with denial of Israel’s considered antisemitic. In the particular right to exist. Fortunately, Europalestine context of the resurgence of antisemitic acts remains an isolated case. A similar attempt in France since the beginning of the Second was made, along different lines, in Italy, Intifada (Autumn 2000), several of which where Bassam Saleh, leader of Rome’s Pales- made the headlines during the election cam- tinian community, founded the Europales- paign, the Jewish community authorities tina association (in liaison with its French had already been seriously dismayed at the counterpart) and stood for election in the list’s campaign manifesto because of its uni- Lazio area on the list of the Partito dei lateral analysis of the causes of the Israeli- Comunisti Italiani. The Palestine Forum, of Palestinian conflict: among other things, the which he is one of the organisers, published manifesto condemned the “Israeli Govern- a text entitled “Palestine and the forth- ment [which] turns its back on peace and coming European elections”, which includes flouts international law and the basic rights a dubious reference to “Europe’s collusion in of an entire people which it ceaselessly deci- the plan hatched by the Israeli authorities to mates, imprisons and plunders with impu- wipe out the Palestinians”.38

37. For an on-the-spot report from Garges les Gonesse, In France, a study of the conduct of the where Europalestine achieved its highest score (10.75%), and distinctly antisemitic quotations campaign for the European elections shows from supporters of the list, see the Communist daily L’Humanité of 22 June 2004. 38. Text published on 19 May 2004.

34ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance that even where overt expressions of racism France5 referred to a demonstration and xenophobia were few and far between, “against the law banning pupils from at least among mainstream political parties, wearing the Islamic headscarf at school” the climate leading up to the ballot was (current affairs programme C dans l’air, nonetheless partly shaped by the entry into 17 January). More than any other (a third the debate of issues concerning the position demonstration was held on 14 February), of Islam in the public arena, the nature and the demonstration on 17 January helped to scale of expressions of antisemitism, and ethnicise the political debate. It was organ- more broadly, secularism and national iden- ised by a small radical Islamist group, the tity. Parti des Musulmans de France (PMF), It must first be remembered that on with the participation of other radical 17 December 2003 the President of the groups from abroad (Parti Citoyenneté Republic, Jacques Chirac, announced his Prospérité and European Arab League). intention of tabling a government bill Mohammed Ennacer Latrèche, Chairman of banning the wearing of “ostensible” reli- the PMF, uttered antisemitic slogans which gious symbols in state schools, which came received broad media coverage. On into force at the beginning of the September 22 January the Communist daily L’Humanité 2004 school year. His announcement came reported that “the Paris public prosecutor in the wake of the report submitted on has opened an investigation into the alleg- 12December by the Stasi commission on edly antisemitic remarks made by the secularism set up by the President on 3 July Chairman of the Parti des Musulmans de 2003. As soon as the President announced France (PMF). The investigation ended in his decision to ask Parliament to legislate, January 2005 for lack of evidence. During what many Muslim associations perceived the pro-Muslim headscarf demonstration as an ad hoc law against the Islamic headscarf last Saturday, Mohammed Latrèche said prompted several demonstrations in Paris that “Zionism is an apartheid-based ide- and other large cities in France, especially ology and we fight it as we fight Nazism”. on 21 December 2003 and 17 January 2004. He immediately said he was the victim of a Each demonstration attracted wide media “slander campaign”, since in his view, the coverage of a kind that effectively injected Minister of Justice had “decided to comply into the political debate attitudes both que- at once with the instructions of the Repre- rying the compatibility of Islam with the sentative Council of the Jewish Institutions republic (and secularism). The involvement of France and the International League of the law was presented by some Islamist Against Racism and Antisemitism organisations and their allies from the anti- (LICRA)”. Latrèche had also stated that Le globalisation movement as casting a reli- Monde was a “Zionist newspaper controlled gious and ethnic stigma on Muslims by the LICRA” and had thrown several opposed to the law whilst they are not at all Jewish journalists to the mob, as it were, proven to be in the majority, and even a dis- especially Elisabeth Schemla, editor of the cussion of whether the provisions of the online newspaper www.proche-orient.info. future law were not too lenient to cope with At the time, some journalists were the scale of the alleged “Islamist peril” – reporting, with proof on hand, following the with some people advocating an outright discourse by the online newspaper Proche ban on wearing the Muslim headscarf in Orient Info, the existence of ties between the public or the adoption of provisions prohib- PMF and far-left negationist groups, which iting patients in public hospitals from introduced a further dimension into the choosing the sex of the doctor who exam- debate: that which highlights the antise- ined them. Above all, the nature, content mitic tone of part of the pro-Palestinian dis- and real aims of the law were misrepre- course. The weekly Le Nouvel Observateur, for sented. example, reported that “the Parti des After the demonstration of 21 December, Musulmans de France, led by the Islamist for example, the RTL radio station agitator Mohammed Latrèche, who described the bill as targeting the Muslim denounces the “Palestinian genocide” organ- headscarf alone (“Some 3000 people dem- ised by Israel, was fraternising with the onstrated in Paris on Sunday against the negationist Serge Thion, in the name of the future law banning pupils from wearing the Palestinian cause”.39 Muslim headscarf at school”, RTL, 22 December). After another demonstration 39. Claude Askolovitch, Le Nouvel Observateur, 6 Feb- on 17 January, the television channel ruary 2003.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 35 This was the climate in which the gov- was later proved to have also struck several ernment bill was adopted on first reading by non-Jewish people on the same spot. The the National Assembly on 10 February 2004 series of public statements that immediately and by the Senate on 3 March, and in which followed the attack itself gives a good idea of the French voted in their regional and can- the way this type of incident is ethnicised. tonal elections of 21 and 28 March 2004. The On the basis of eye-witness accounts, whole period was also marked by the including that of the injured boy, the perpe- sudden entry into media vocabulary of the trator was rightly classified as a “young man term “Islamophobia” used by the opponents of North African origin” by the police of the law, such as Islamists from the left as seeking him. A more precise but non-veri- well as from the far left, to condemn the fied version started to circulate immedi- alleged stigma it cast and, more generally, ately. “The young Jewish man was attacked according to them, the atmosphere of suspi- by a young man of North African origin who cion fostered with regard to Muslims, espe- shouted Allah Akhbar (God is great),” Sammy cially since 11 September 2001. A Collective Ghozlan, President of the Council of Jewish Against Islamophobia was set up at that Communities of Seine-Saint-Denis, told the time40 to make a list of “Islamophobic” acts41 AFP press agency, unhesitatingly linking and statements identified as such, whether the attack to the existence and influence of made by politicians or intellectuals. The the Europalestine list43 and transforming the controversy escalated further in March 2004 act into a religiously motivated attack. In a when the Communist Party chose as its press release, the President of the Conseil head of list for the regional election in Ile de Français du Culte Musulman (French France the President of the anti-racist Council for Muslim Worship), Dalil Bou- organisation MRAP ( Mouvement contre le bakeur, Rector of the Paris Mosque, then Racisme et pour l’Amitié entre les Peuples – Move- “condemn[ed] this horrible, appalling and ment Against Racism and for Friendship disgusting act on behalf of France’s Muslim among Peoples), Mouloud Aounit: some community” and “express[ed] his solidarity people interpreted this as an attempt to with the Jewish community, especially the harness the French-born electorate of North victim”. He repeated the theory of a reli- African origin and the opponents of the law giously motivated attack by stating that on religious symbols, which the MRAP had “invoking the name of Allah, as the perpe- opposed.42 Controversy turned into crisis in trator of this attack did, is an instance of the left-wing majority on the Ile de France abuse and an unacceptable pretext”, while regional council after 28 March, when the and it was only suspected that there might be Socialist President of the region, Jean-Paul a religious motive for the attack. Dominique Huchon, refused to appoint Aounit as vice- de Villepin, the Minister of the Interior, president, contrary to an agreement which immediately travelled to the scene. Ques- according to the Communist Party appears tioned by the AFP, he firmly condemned to have been concluded before the ballot. “this horrible attack” and expressed his “profound concern”. But he added another Another salient feature of the pre- possible interpretation of the act by election climate (leading up to the European denouncing “cable TV channels that elections this time) was the repeated occur- increasingly broadcast in France and put rence of antisemitic acts, the most serious of across messages that have nothing to do which of which attracted a great deal of with peace”, although there was nothing to media attention. The most serious of these suggest that the act or its perpetrator might was a knife attack committed on 4 June be linked to any media influence.44 and that 2004 against a pupil of a Talmudic school in moreover, until then, the government had Epinay-sur-Seine by a young Muslim who refused to ban anti-Semitic channels such as Am Manar. A few weeks later, after the 40.Website: http://www.islamophobie.net/. 41.According to this website, “In a report published on European elections, similar controversies 24 October 2004, the Collective has recorded over a broke out after the fictitious antisemitic period of 11 months [ author’s note: in 2003-2004] 182 attack staged by a female passenger on a Islamophobic acts, of which 118 targeted individ- suburban train (9 July 2004) and the fire at a uals, including 27 attacks of which 4 were serious, and 64 targeted institutions or representations of Jewish social centre in Paris, which was pre- Islam, including 28 attacks on mosques and 11 cases of vandalism in cemeteries, desecrating more than 43. of 5 June, “Jewish teenager knifed in the 200 graves”. street at Epinay-sur-Seine”. 42.All the press articles are available on the website: 44.The French government decided to ban Al Manar in www.aounit2004.org. December 2004.

36ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance sented as an antisemitic act whereas the I now come to two instances of antise- alleged arsonist was a former (Jewish) mitic discourse that marred the campaign employee of the centre (21 August 2004). for the European elections and resembled Each time, lack of caution in the immediate expressions of traditional political responses to the incident, coupled with dis- antisemitism, with a partly religious basis tortion of the facts in some cases and and no link to the exploitation of Islam or remarks incriminating a community and a the Middle East conflict. The first instance religion, regrettably helped to ethnicise concerns Hungary, where in May 2004 the social relationships.45 head of the far-right MIEP party’s list in the European elections, the Calvinist The frequency of antisemitic acts, which clergyman 47 Lorant Hegedus, urged Hungar- remains high, is also a source of recurring ians to exclude the Jews before they exclude controversy. According to the Ministry of you. In 2002 Mr Hegedus, former Deputy the Interior’s statistics, it started to rise Chairman of the Justice and Life Party again in the first half of 2004: 67 antisemitic (MIEP), had been sentenced to 18 months’ acts and 160 threats were recorded between imprisonment for a statement made on January and the end of March 2004, as 16 July 2001 in the MIEP’s local newspaper against 42 antisemitic acts and 191 threats in in the 16th district of Budapest, Ebreszto, the last quarter of 2003. Yet according to the advocating the elimination of the Galician figures presented by Nicolas Sarkozy on 27 hordes from public life;48 in Hungarian January 2004, the number of antisemitic coded vocabulary the term he used desig- acts and threats had dropped by 37% from nates Jews. He was acquitted on appeal in 932 in 2002 to 588 in 2003. Likewise, the November 2003. Also in May 2004, he number of “serious acts” (attacks, stones declared on state-owned Hungarian radio thrown at places of worship and schools, that he maintained everything he had said desecration of graves) had decreased by one on the subject. In December 2003, following third from 192 in 2002 to 125 in 2003. It is the court decision to acquit him, the former not the purpose of this report to discuss all Prime Minister Peter Medgyessy’s centre- the consequences of the rise of antisemitic left government had promulgated a law acts on the one hand and anti-Muslim (also against incitement to racial hatred. How- known as “Islamophobic”) racist acts on the ever, the Constitutional Council had other, including the increasingly entrenched declared the law unconstitutional, ruling split between anti-racist associations. How- that it “unnecessarily restricted freedom of ever, it should be pointed out that during expression”, and consequently refused to the election campaigns a number of Jewish endorse a law which had been adopted in associations specifically accused the left- Parliament by a small majority and would wing parties, especially the Communist have prohibited “public incitement to Party, and the far-left parties, especially the hatred of a nation or race or national ethnic, Ligue Communiste Révolutionnaire (LCR), or religious minority” and “incitement to of accommodating a radical form of acts of violence against such groups”. In antizionism that these associations consid- Hungary, where 600 000 Jews were exter- ered tantamount to antisemitism.46 minated during the Second World War, there has been a resurgence of antisemitism 45. The latest example is almost a textbook case: in Marseille on 17 October 2004, Ghofrane Haddaoui, 46.On Thursday 10 September 2003 the Douai Court of a French girl of Tunisian origin, was killed with Appeal sentenced the Communist mayor of Seclin blows from stones, which smashed her skull, by a (Nord), Jean-Claude Willem, to a 1 000 euro fine for young man of North African origin whose advances calling on his local authority departments to boy- she refused. The macho crime immediately turned cott Israeli products. Proceedings had been brought into … stoning. A demonstration in her memory was against him by the Association cultuelle israélite of held on the spot on 27 November, while Parliament the Département . The LCR lodged a complaint was discussing a government bill on domestic vio- against the President of the Conseil Représentatif lence. The famous singer Jean-Jacques Goldmann, des Institutions Juives de France, who had stated on who demonstrated in Marseille with the associa- 25 January 2003 that antizionism is what cements tion “Ni putes, ni soumises”, used the term “stoning” this current of opinion which extends from revolu- in a statement to the daily Le Parisien on tionary parties such as Lutte Ouvrière and the Ligue 28November. This was one of the few newspapers Communiste Révolutionnaire to a fraction of the far to publish a statement by a demonstrator who pre- left. cisely protested against the use of this inappro- 47. In a press release dated 21 January 2002, the synod priate term. There is an example of a tragic incident of the Hungarian Reformed Church very firmly con- in which the origins of the victim and the murderer demned both Mr Hegedus’ remarks and the inclu- prompted some media to use a xenophobic stereo- sion of ten clergymen among the MIEP candidates type, distorting the facts. in the 2002 general election.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 37 in the past few years. In January 2004 an January 2004, several thousand demonstra- Israeli flag was burned during a demonstra- tors gathered in front of the radio station’s tion by the Civic Circles, a political associa- offices brandishing placards saying “Buzz tion set up by the former Conservative off to Israel”, booing the government coali- Prime Minister Viktor Orban just after his tion headed by the Socialist (ex-Commu- defeat in the 2002 general election. Another nist) Party with shouts of “Down with this case shook the country at the start of the Jews’ government!” and burning an Israeli campaign for the European elections. A flag.50 A final distinctive feature of the situa- broadcaster on Radio Tilos, a Budapest- tion in Hungary is that antisemitism is also based private radio station whose name considered perfectly respectable on news- means “banned” in Hungarian, lambasted stands, where the MIEP’s monthly “Magyar the Christian religion on the air when he Forum” is on sale. The list of books available presented a programme in an obvious state by mail order from the newspaper in 2003- of drunkenness. The MIEP and a section of 2004 is undoubtedly unique in Europe, former Prime Minister Orban’s movement since it offers books applauding the Hun- immediately seized on the affair and called it garian Waffen SS, others honouring Regent a “Jewish plot” against Christianity. The Horthy, a negationist book on Auschwitz ORTT, the regulatory body for television and a translation of a 1930s French classic broadcasting, imposed penalties on the on the judeo-masonic plot theory – many of radio station, which was banned from them illustrated by drawings and carica- broadcasting for a month, deprived of public tures like those produced by the Nazi 51 funding for six months and warned that it Stürmer. might lose its frequency if such an incident In Greece , for years now, both the recurred. The radio station management Central Board of Jewish Communities in appealed the decision, and the film director Greece, the Simon Wiesenthal Centre and Gyrgy Palos, a member of the Tilos manage- the various human rights organisations have ment board, argued that his radio station condemned the unchanging antisemitic fea- and that of the MIEP were given different tures of MP George Karatzaferis’ discourse. treatment: it is amazing that such a ridicu- The party he founded, “People’s Orthodox lous incident should have become the top Alarm” (LAOS), scored an unexpected political issue, he said. Meanwhile Pannon success with 13.7% of the vote in the Athens Radio (the MIEP’s radio station in Buda- municipal elections in October 2002. The pest) and even the state radio call Jews Greek Helsinki Monitor launched a forceful ‘Galicians’ and gypsies ‘dark-skinned campaign against LAOS in the run-up to the people’; yet the ORTT has never found fault European elections of 13 June 2004, pointing with that”.49 During the demonstrations out for example that the party’s local offi- held by the MIEP against Radio Tilos in cials included four neo-Nazi activists and that Mr Karatzaferis had publicly claimed 48.The English version of the statement is as follows: Mossad was involved in the terrorist attacks “The Christian Hungarian state would have warded of 11 September 2001. The GHM concluded off the [ill effects] of the Compromise of 1867 had not an army of Galician vagabonds arrived who had in a press release dated 7 June 2004 that been gnawing away at the country which, despite LAOS preached antisemitism “more than everything, again and again, had always been able to any other party has ever done in Greece”. resurrect from its ruins the bones of its heroes. If After the party’s breakthrough in the latest their Zion of the Old Testament was lost due to their sins and rebellions against God, let the most local elections, the Simon Wiesenthal promising height of the New Testament's way of Centre had called for Mr Karatzaferis’ tele- life, the Hungarian Zion, be lost as well …. Since it is vision channel to be closed down on the impossible to smoke out every Palestinian from the grounds that it broadcast “antisemitic prop- banks of the Jordan using Fascist methods that often imitate the Nazis themselves, they are aganda”. Below are some of the antisemitic returning to the banks of the Danube, now in the quotations published in the party’s news- shape of internationalists, now in jingoistic form, paper Alpha Ena: in the issue of 5-6 June now as cosmopolitans, in order to give the Hungar- 2004, “Zionism orchestrates anti-Greek ians another kick just because they feel like doing so… So hear, Hungarians, the message of the 1 000th propaganda”, “Zionists control the planet”, year of the Christian Hungarian state, based on 1000 ancient rights and legal continuity, the only 50. Ibid . one leading you to life: EXCLUDE THEM! 51.The French author of the translated book is Léon de BECAUSE IF YOU DON'T, THEY WILL DO IT TO Poncins. The most striking caricature is on the YOU.” [In block capitals in the text.] cover of the book by Zoltan Bosnyak, Szembe 49.Quoted by the French daily Libération on 11 March Judeaval!, portraying a bearded, hook-nosed Jew 2004. with a black felt hat and a menacing look.

38ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance “It has been proved beyond doubt that the semitism, as evidenced by composer Mikis terrorist attack against the Twin Towers in Theodorakis, who is considered close to New York was due to action by America’s Communist circles. In an interview in Jewish Zionists” and “the symbol of the Haaretz on 26 August 2004, he clarifies his dollar is not D but $(SH), which stands for statement of 4 November 2003 that “the shekel, in honour of the first Jewish cur- root of evil is the Jewish people”. He main- rency”; and in the issue of 29-30 May 2004, tained his position, explaining that in his “The election of Rozakis as Greek judge to view “the root of evil today is Bush’s policy” the European Court of Human Rights is a and adding, “I don’t understand how the Zionist victory […] which confirms the dom- Jewish people, who were the victims of inant trend in the European Parliament. Nazism, can support this fascist policy” – a Clearly, of course, that is a victory for Zionism, with the consequences you can statement that reduces the Jews to a single imagine” and “What kind of Europe do you entity. Again confusing “Jew” and “Israeli”, like? American, Zionist, internationalist or he then said, “There isn’t a single people in multicultural?”. However, it would be a the world that supports this policy except mistake to regard the far right alone as the people of Israel […]. I’m afraid Sharon responsible for spreading antisemitism in will lead the Jews – as Hitler led the Greece: the left also propagates anti- Germans – to the root of evil”.

Case study No. 1: A case study of Belgium is essential for tion and even complains of its “sometimes Belgium several reasons. Firstly, Belgium held contemptuous and racist attitude to Flan- regional elections at the same time as the ders and the Flemish people”.52 The terms European elections. Secondly, it is a federal used by the party in denouncing the chaos state gripped by inter-community tensions caused by Walloon state control and the exacerbated by a xenophobic far-right economic gulf between the two provinces, Flemish nationalist party, which is inciden- together with the claim that Brussels is a tally in no way representative of the entire Flemish city and the accusation of Walloon Flemish national movement in terms of its harassment of Flemish speakers show this history and aspirations. Lastly, one of the to be another form of xenophobic prejudice, main campaign issues was, unusually, the which leads as a matter of course to the legal steps already taken or to be taken in demand for separation and is sometimes the future against this party, the Vlaams expressed with considerable violence, even Blok: it was gaining in popularity at the time where the target is not named: in his speech and the democratic parties had agreed to in Bruges on 1 May 2004, Frank Vanhecke quarantine it, which meant refusing to said that once relieved of the burden of the appoint members of the Blok to regional or stolen billions ( author’s note : stolen by Wal- national government duties. So before lonia), Flanders can become a model state in looking at racist, xenophobic and anti- terms of social benefits, and repeatedly semitic discourse in the Belgian political described native Flemish people as victims context, it is important to identify the of discrimination. In recent years the Blok’s Vlaams Blok’s ideology and programme on discourse on immigration has attracted these issues. The party’s 70-point platform, support from outside the party: this became which has very recently been amended for apparent in 2004 over the issue of whether legal reasons discussed below, calls for the to grant non-Community foreigners the establishment of an independent Flemish right to vote in local elections, which republic with Brussels as its capital. It also became one of the key issues in the political advocates “a complete halt to immigration”, debate preceding the 2004 elections. The “restriction of the right of asylum”, “the Socialist and ecology parties have been pro- effective repatriation of illegal immigrants posing since the late 1980s that the right to and refugees with unjustified claims” and “a vote be extended to immigrants who have humane and generous policy of return [to lived in Belgium for at least five years. the country of origin]”. It regards naturalisa- Towards the end of 2003 the idea gained tion only as “the culmination of a process of ground in the centre and on the right, integration and assimilation. This xeno- phobic view of society is obviously aimed 52.See “Un programme d’avenir: un Etat indépendant first and foremost at non-Community for- flamand” (A Programme for the Future: an Inde- eigners, but the Blok also shows real hos- pendent Flemish State) posted on http:// tility to Belgium’s French-speaking popula- vlaamsblok.be/site_frans_programme_4.shtml.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 39 dividing the Liberal Party (VVD) and the with internal strife and threatened both on Christian Democrat Party (CDH), so that the left and on the right by the Vlaams Blok some elected representatives belonging to and the “Liberaal Appel” dissidents; that of these two parties (and moderate national- pressure from the Young Liberals in Ant- ists belonging to the NVA, the former Volk- werp, who were overtly campaigning sunie) agreed to join an “Action Committee against granting the right to vote to non- against granting foreigners the right to vote Community foreigners and had collected the (Actiecomité tegen stemrecht voor vreem- 1000 members’ signatures required to delingen) set up by the Vlaams Blok after ensure that the issue of foreigners’ right to the adoption of this measure by the Senate vote, which the French-speaking parties and and headed by a former liberal MP, Ward the Flemish Socialists (SPA) supported, was Beysen. 53 This in itself was an put before the VLD congress; and lastly, that unprecedented breach of the quarantine of polls in the run-up to the regional and agreement and entailed intervention by the European elections, forecasting poor results Chairman of the VLD, Karel de Gucht, and for the VLD, with the Vlaams Blok close the Chairman of the CD&V, Yves Leterme, behind it. This last point in particular to punish the culprits. explained the party Chairman’s choice: he feared that giving foreigners the right to In this context it was very tempting to vote would mean more votes for the far try to outgun rival parties in order to give right, to the detriment of the VLD. Essen- the impression of a shift to the right among tially, de Gucht said that “granting for- the ruling parties. On 30 January 2004, the eigners the right to vote, against the will of Chairman of the Flemish Liberal Party the great majority of Flemish people, would (VLD), Karel de Gucht, used an expression be a dangerous precedent”. He added that in that plays an important part in the vocabu- adopting this measure, “the French speakers lary of xenophobia, speaking in the debate are making a serious mistake, for which they held by the Chamber of Representatives’ will pay sooner or later”, and asked, “why Domestic Affairs Committee on the bill con- are they conducting an ideal pre-campaign ditionally granting the right to vote to for- for the Vlaams Blok?”.55 The Liberal leader eigners living in Belgium.54 To restrict the paid a heavy price, since the Federal Prime scope of the measure, he backed an amend- Minister, Guy Verhofstadt, dismissed him ment denying the right to vote to foreigners from his post as Chairman of the VLD on who had unsuccessfully applied for naturali- 12February. In July 2004, however, he sation, and threatened the government with appointed him Minister for Foreign Affairs. withdrawing his party from the coalition if the measure was adopted. In support of his The Vlaams Blok’s legal difficulties were views, Karel de Gucht, who cannot other- another major campaign issue and the Blok wise be suspected of racism and is against spotlighted the question of freedom of any alliance with the Vlaams Blok, cited expression throughout the campaigns both cases of foreign offenders and drew applause for the European elections and for the from the Blok MPs. These remarks can only regional parliaments. On the face of it this be understood in context – that of the may seem irrelevant to the concerns of the party’s forthcoming congress (5-7 February present report. However, it is important to 2004) at a time when the party was riddled see the matter in context so as to under- stand that it is directly relevant to the 53.Beysen then set up his own party, Appel Liberaal. Flemish far-right party’s power to spread 54.The Minister of the Interior, Patrick Dewael, also racist and xenophobic ideas. Following opposed this measure, without using any xeno- three complaints lodged on 10 October 2000 phobic arguments, in an interview on the RTBF radio station’s programme Matin Première on by the Centre for Equal Opportunities and 21October 2003. He said, “During the previous Par- Action against Racism against satellite asso- liament we really made it easier for people to ciations of the party (Nationalistische become Belgian and in my view that is the best way Omroepstichting, Nationalistisch Vor- to integrate foreigners. If they become Belgian – and that’s very easy for them to do – they obtain all mingsinstituut and Vlaamse Concentratie) political rights: not just the right to vote, but also on the grounds that they had distributed the right to be elected. So personally, I believe giving leaflets supporting the Vlaams Blok’s 70- foreigners the right to vote is not the best way to go point platform against immigration, the about it”. However, in an opinion column published by the daily Le Soir on 28 November 2003, he said Ghent Court of Appeal, ruling on the merits, that in his view the Belgian Government should reverse the decision to halt immigration taken in 55.Wire from the news agency Belga, on 30 January 1974. 2004.

40ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance sentenced these associations to a fine of positive response. The CDH Christian Dem- 12400 euros each on 21 April 2004 for con- ocrats have asked Parliament to adopt legis- travening the law against racism; the Court lative measures that will make it possible to also awarded 5000 euros in damages to the abolish public funding of extremist and Centre for Equal Opportunities and Action freedom-hating parties, which would defini- against Racism (CECLR) and 2500 euros to tively eliminate the Blok and its successor. the Dutch-speaking branch of the Human For the moment, the bill to that effect is Rights League, both of which had claimed stuck in the Senate. Also, immediately after damages in the proceedings. This judgment the regional elections, the Vlaams Blok’s is of crucial importance because it allows score put a question mark over the survival the Belgian Government to deprive the party of the “quarantine agreement”. Controversy of the subsidies to which it is entitled as first broke out over the decision by Yves part of the public funding of political par- Leterme, who had been appointed to form ties. The Law of 12February 1999 on the the Flemish Government, to meet the Blok’s funding of political parties provides that parties which display racist views or leaders, even though he clearly stated at the infringe human rights may lose part of the close of the talks that “a coalition with the subsidies they receive from the government. Vlaams Blok is impossible […] because it Moreover, the party’s actual survival is now bases its discourse on confrontation and on at stake because Vlaams Blok lost its case a conflictual model”. Rik Daems, leader of before the Court of Cassation on the Liberal Party (VLD) in the Chamber of 9November 2004: the Court upheld the Representatives, described the talks as a judgment of the Ghent Court of Appeal sen- “waste of time”. The Liberal Deputy Mayor tencing the Blok to a fine on the grounds of Antwerp, Ludo Van Campenhout, consid- that its propaganda constituted “permanent ered them inadvisable, saying that “there is a incitement to segregation and racism”. On fine line between talking and negotiating”. 14 November, in order to be able to pursue Conversely, Roland Duchâtelet, Chairman its activities, the Blok therefore changed its of the Vivant party, an ally of the VLD, asked name to Vlaams Belang (Flemish Interest). the Christian Democrat Party, the CD&V, It also altered its programme, dropping the to form an alliance with the Vlaams Blok, demand for “large groups of non-European which in his view “will continue to progress immigrants to be returned to their coun- as long as it is not given a share in govern- tries” and confining the demand for deporta- ment”. The youth branch of the N-VA, the tion to immigrants who “reject, deny or former Volksunie, a moderate Flemish combat our culture and certain European nationalist party allied to the CD&V, also values such as separation of the Church and called for the “quarantine agreement” to be State, freedom of expression and equality between men and women”. This is a dropped. standard case of what judicious use of the 56.On the French-speaking side, the Electoral Expend- law can do to restrict the use and political iture Audit Board of the Chamber of Representa- 56 exploitation of xenophobic discourse. tives and the Senate unanimously decided to The party, which aims to establish an suspend the Front National’s subsidy for three months. The Board members criticised Daniel independent Flemish republic, considered Féret’s FN for failing to submit a financial report for that the judgment had dealt it a death sen- 2003. Meanwhile, the FN submitted a document tence, but said it was convinced that under stating that its only income was its subsidy, a dona- its new name it would see the death of Bel- tion of 1.50 euros and membership fees from forty or so members. The Board considered that this docu- gium, as its Chairman Frank Vanhecke put ment was in no sense a financial report and there- it. While the Blok tops the polls in Flanders, fore unanimously ordered the far-right party’s the French-speaking parties have voiced a subsidy to be suspended for three months.

Case study No. 2: I have chosen Ireland because on 11 June parties and racist views are very rarely heard Ireland 2004 the Irish voted both in the European in the political arena: when this happens, it elections, in local elections and in a refer- is due to verbal excesses by elected repre- endum designed to amend Article 9 of the sentatives of the traditional parties. The Constitution so as to tighten requirements latest recorded case occurred during the for obtaining Irish nationality, putting an campaign for the 2002 general election, end to the acquisition of nationality by birth when the MP for Cork Noel O’Flynn on Irish territory. The Irish case is also of described immigrants as “spongers” and interest because Ireland has no far-right “freeloaders”. 57 On the fringes of the political

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 41 scene, the tiny Christian Solidarity Party, a will automatically acquire Irish nationality traditionalist Catholic party, fielded a few and the attendant benefits for the child and candidates in the local elections and one in its family? Marginal groups used an overtly the European elections, just exceeding 1% of racist line of argument, which was also pub- the vote.58 A grouping was formed on the licised in the local elections. The Immigra- sole subject of immigration: the Immigration tion Control Platform claimed that immigra- Control Platform, which fielded three tion is a local problem, in the words of Ted candidates in the elections for Dublin, Cork Neville’s campaign leaflet, which continued, South Central and Dundalk city councils. “Services that affect you have to bend over But Pat Talbot and Ted Neville scored 1.65% backwards to take account of the extra and 1.44% respectively in the first two cities applications due to an unplanned and – in other words, immigration issues do not unwanted influx of immigrants. […] Nearly appear to command voters’ support in local 1000 foreign households in Cork city and elections. county receive a rent allowance, while many workers are struggling to become house However, at a very late stage, in March owners and are financing this additional 2004, the Irish Government decided to hold burden out of their taxes”. The ICP also took a referendum on access to nationality. This the view that “90% of asylum applications was against the background of tougher are sham” and attacked the government’s legislation on foreigners – a decision of the alleged intention of taking in 20 000 Supreme Court in 2003 empowering the Chinese students a year, asking, “Will the government to deport foreigners who have government make sure they go back to Irish-born children, and the adoption of the China, or will they be getting in through the 2004 Immigration Act, which came into back door?”.61 In Dublin the independent force on 13 February 2004. In brief, the refer- candidate Paul Kangley campaigned for a endum concerned the following issue: a yes vote in the referendum, otherwise we “yes” vote meant that henceforth only won’t have enough maternity hospitals for persons who at birth had at least one parent all the foreign women who want to give of Irish nationality, or one parent entitled to birth here”, untruthfully claiming that become an Irish citizen, would have a con- “there are officially almost 200 000 people stitutional right to obtain Irish nationality. who call themselves refugees and live in new The “yes” vote also empowered Parliament houses and flats”. 62 to change the law which currently provides that anyone born in Ireland is Irish.59 Neither the government nor the main- stream parties used racist discourse. The The first point to note is that even in a government’s justification for tabling the referendum-type ballot on a particular issue, constitutional reform bill was a loophole in participation was low (59.95%), which on the current Constitution warranting meas- the face of it proves that the issue did not ures to avoid “citizenship tourism” and alle- arouse the electorate’s interest. However, viate the workload of already “overbur- the voters who went to the polls voted “yes” dened” hospitals.63 Prime Minister Bertie by a large majority (79.17%) whereas the Ahern took care to repeat that he supported “no” vote scored only 20.83%.60 As regards a “liberal” law on the right of asylum and the manner in which the issues of immigra- immigration (27 May). Nevertheless, the tion and right of asylum were presented very idea that “citizenship tourism” exists during the referendum campaign, the latter on a large scale, or at any rate on a scale suf- in fact revolved around a straightforward ficient to require revision of the Constitu- argument: is it true that women of foreign tion, may be considered questionable. Also nationality travel to Ireland on purpose in debatable is the wisdom of referring, as the order to give birth there so that their child Minister for Foreign Affairs Brian Cowen did, to “genuine migrants” (the Irish Times, 57.See the Irish Times of 31 January 2002. 58. In the local elections, Paul O’Loughlin scored 1.69% 4June), which suggests that there are “false” in Dublin Inner City and Conor O’Donogue 1.02% in migrants. And lastly, one wonders whether Limerick 1. In the European elections Barry Despard it was judicious to encourage the electorate scored 1,27% in Dublin. The traditionalist Catholic to vote in the European elections by dis- MEP Rosemary Scallon, who scored 13.52%, was not re-elected in the North-West constituency. playing a poster in the streets portraying a 59.For further information see www.refcom.ie. 60.For a map of the results, which do not correlate 61.See http://www.immigrationcontrol.org/ with the presence of foreigners, see http:// elections2004.htm www.ireland.com/focus/referendum2004/ 62. Ibid . results_map.html 63. Metro Eireann, 4 July 2004.

42ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance woman breastfeeding her baby, which weight to the view that women applying for might suggest a link with the referendum on immigration choose the country where they nationality (1 June). However, it would be want to settle on the basis of a sort of cost- particularly unfair to hold only the ruling benefit ratio, i.e. precisely by doing what parties responsible for these ambiguous some people call asylum-shopping. Other remarks when a man as clearly above suspi- government remarks fuelled controversy, cion of racism as Nobel Peace Prize John such as the statement made on 3 June by Hume (of the Northern Ireland SDLP party) Mary Coughlan, Minister for Social and said he wanted the Irish Government to Family Affairs, that a yes vote in the refer- award a “certificate of Irishness” to all those endum would end the incentive for pregnant across the world who are of Irish origin, 64 women to put themselves and their unborn which amounts to an ethnically-based view children at risk by travelling here from of nationality. abroad just before birth.71 The main problem with the government’s That being said, it is a fact that very few line of argument was that it was based from racist incidents occurred during the election the outset on strongly disputed figures (for campaigns: according to the Irish Times, a births by foreign mothers who had come to candidate of Nigerian origin in Galway Ireland specially for the purpose) and on lodged a complaint after receiving racist tel- facts which do not appear to be proven.65 ephone calls. Lastly, it must be pointed out Thus, it was said to be the Dublin Masters of that in 2002 the Irish Government set up a the Hospitals who had alerted Justice Min- National Consultative Committee on ister Michael MacDowell to the need to Racism and Interculturalism (NCCRI), change the law to prevent the influx of which included special articles on the foreign mothers.66 Then, when the Masters National Action Plan Against Racism and of the Hospitals stated that they had made on countering myths about asylum-seekers no such request, which the minister himself in the first issue of its newsletter Spectrum admitted on 13 March, the argument turned (November 2002). In the face of broad oppo- into the idea that the large number of sition from the Churches and human rights foreign mothers posed a problem for the organisations (which criticised it for hospital system’s capacity 67 and that there exploiting racist feeling to boost its scores was genuine and systematic abuse of the in the local and European elections), as well constitutional right to acquire Irish nation- as from the opposition parties Labour and ality. 68 The final argument was that the con- Sinn Fein, the Irish Government simply stitutional change would bring Ireland into exercised its legitimate right to decide how line with the legislation of the European one becomes a citizen. The newly intro- Union member countries,69 which is in fact duced requirements are no more restrictive true, apart from the fact that the chosen than those in force elsewhere in the Euro- wording was so that we do not create pean Union. However, it is regrettable that unintended incentives that are unfair to us the reasons for the hurried referendum were or to other EU member states.70 The concept not clearly stated and that a generalisation of unintended incentives tends to lend was made about foreigners in spite of the official statistics showing a 10% drop in the 64.The Irish Times , 10 May 2004. 65.On this point, see the article by Aisling Reidy, number of births by foreign mothers in Director of the Irish Council for Civil Liberties: “The Dublin’s maternity hospitals between 2002 need for a referendum considered”, at: www.iccl.ie/ and 2003. 72 constitution/gen/ar_tcdspeech04.pdf. 66. Statement by the Minister on 10 March 2004. 67. Ibid., 21 April 2004. 71.A “yes” vote would would end the incentive for 68.Statement by the Prime Minister on 12 April 2004. pregnant women to put themselves and their 69. Statement by the Minister of Justice on 9 April unborn children at risk by travelling here from 2004. abroad just before birth. 70. Ibid . 72. Metro Eireann, 4 July 2004.

Case study No. 3: Latvia T he main problem in Latvia is that of rela- period when the country was part of the tions between the Latvian majority (57.6% is referred to as the Russian of the population) and the Russian minority rather than the Soviet occupation.73 In (29.6%). A genuine and long-standing recent years this prejudice has chiefly been feeling of hostility may be said to exist voiced with regard to the issues of language towards the Russian minority, as reflected and access to nationality. The prime evi- in standard terminology by the fact that the dence for this feeling includes the 1989 lan-

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 43 guage law, which makes Latvian the only which voices anti-Russian feeling based on national language, requires proper names to deep-seated anti-Communism. 78 Brivibas be latvianised and abolishes the teaching of Partija’s advertisement, broadcast during Russian in universities, and the 1994 nation- the campaign for the October 2003 general ality law, which makes naturalisation election, portrayed two black musicians subject to passing an examination in Latvian belonging to a well-known group. One of language, history and law, widely regarded them, dressed as a soldier, was shown as difficult and discriminatory, with the kissing a Latvian woman in front of the result that by 30 September 2004 only monument to freedom in Riga. The 78 540 naturalisations had been granted. accompanying voice-over said, “Today he’s This means that almost 20% of Latvia’s resi- defending your country, tomorrow he might dents are not citizens, cannot take part in be your son-in-law”. The court judgment elections and do not have access to a given in response to a complaint lodged by number of jobs, especially in the public the musicians and George Steele is a first in service. However, the picture is not entirely Latvia, paving the way for the courts to pay negative: in September 2002 Latvia adopted closer attention to racist offences. a new law on the right of asylum, and in May 2003 a new law on immigration, both The main problem during the run-up to of which the United Nations Committee the European elections, however, was the against Torture recognised as incorporating reform of the education system, which was significant advances.74 It must also be adopted in February 2004 and came into acknowledged that the Russian minority is force on 1September. An appeal has been free to express itself politically, which lodged before the Latvian Constitutional enables it to be represented in the European Court against the law, which provides that Parliament by the coalition For Human 60% of subjects must be taught in Latvian, Rights in United Latvia (FHRUL), a party including in Russian-speaking schools. The incorporating numerous former officials of latter are thus threatened with extinction the Soviet Communist Party. The fact (in theory, the law also applies to schools remains, however, that Latvia has not run by other minorities). In January 2004 ratified the Framework Convention for the the bill sparked a wave of protest among the Protection of National Minorities, while Russian-speaking minority, culminating in a Estonia and Lithuania have. demonstration by 30 000 people in Riga on 1May, in response to a call from several According to Kaspars Zalitis, co-ordi- organisations: a moderate wing (Lashor – nator of the European Week of Action Association of Russian Teachers) and a against Racism and the National Council of more hardline wing (Shtab – Centre for the Latvian Youth, “the media don’t talk about Defence of Russian Schools), both of which racism”.75 Yet racism is a feature of daily life: are often accused by the press and govern- for example, and contrary to Zalitis’ view, ment of being manipulated by Russia.79 A the much publicised case of George Steele, a number of slogans seen during the demon- black American citizen living in Latvia since stration, such as Russian is more than a lan- 1994, has proved that insults and harass- guage, could in fact be construed as ment make coloured people’s lives difficult; expressing a form of refusal to integrate, or there is also the case of the racist TV adver- even of anti-Latvian feeling,80 while the tisement for Brivibas Partija (Freedom slogan Stop apartheid in Latvia is clearly an Party),76 which was convicted for it in Sep- exaggeration.81 tember 2003. 77 This party must not be con- fused with the LNNK (Apvienba Tvzemei The law also triggered a political crisis: in un Brvbai/LNNK), an ultra-nationalist party May 2004 the National Harmony Party (Tautas Saskanas Partija), which supported comparable in some respects to the far right the government of Prime Minister Indulis

73.For example, the Latvian Academic Information Emsis (who took office on 9 March 2004 Centre’s Website refers to the 1940 “Russian occu- pation”. See www.aic.lv/HE_2002/HE_LV/ 78.In the European Parliament after the June elections, factsheets/hist.htm. for example, LNNK tabled a draft resolution upheld 74.Report CAT/C/CR/31/3 of 5 February 2004. by MEP Girts Valdis Kristovskis with a view to ret- 75.Article of 27 March 2003 on www.policy.lv. rospectively condemning the Molotov-Ribbentrop 76. For the party’s platform, see: http://web.cvk.lv/pub/ pact. ?doc_id=28214. 79.See Le Monde of 25 October 2004. 77. On these two points, see the interview with George 80.Reported by the Baltic Times of 6 May 2004. Steele at www.policy.lv/index.php?id=102518 81.Reported by EU-Observer of 12 June 2004 in connec- (7 January 2003). tion with the demonstration of 12 June.

44 ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance and resigned on 28 October), gave the gov- anti-Latvian statements made by Russian ernment an ultimatum, demanding that it officials: the Chairman of the Duma’s take action on minority rights and the Foreign Affairs Committee, Dimitri reform of the education system. At the same Rogozin, who is a specialist in this area, said time, a right-wing party called for the resig- in September 2003 that “the Nazis have nation of the Minister for Social Integration, come to power in Latvia” and described the Nils Muiznieks (a member of the Latvia latter as “a country of hooligans”.84 As for First party), on the grounds that he had the ultra-nationalist leader Vladimir Jiri- given too much of a free rein to minority novski, he threatened on 1 April 2004 to demands. Many commentators viewed this destroy Latvia, specifying that commandos demand as a ploy by a party suffering from a were ready to leave Russia to bomb the decline in the polls and internal dissent to Baltic countries’ capitals.85 boost its image. The issues of minority As regards the forms taken by anti- rights, reform of the education system and Russian xenophobic prejudice, it will first tuition in the , together be noted that the government does not deny with that of asylum-seekers, prompted a its existence, nor that of racism in general. debate among the left-wing parties: the At a press conference held during the OSCE Tautas Saskanas Partija headed by Janis Conference on Tolerance and the Fight Jurkans made its support for the govern- Against Racism, Xenophobia and Discrimi- ment conditional on the latter resolving the nation (Brussels, 13-14 September 2004), education problem, preferably without Minister Muiznieks said that on 25 August amending the existing law; and For Human Latvia had adopted a National Programme Rights in United Latvia went still further, for the Promotion of Tolerance. While organising student demonstrations, calling pointing out that the National Human on pupils to boycott the start of school on 1 Rights Office had received very few com- September and demanding closer ties plaints of racist acts, he admitted that many between the European Union and Russia – people belonging to visible minorities (from an argument which is of course unlikely to Africa, the Middle East and Asia) had been convince the majority of Latvians of the subjected to threats or physical attacks, and Russian minority’s willingness to integrate. added that there was widespread prejudice On the government side, the main argument against Roma, as well as deteriorating atti- in favour of the law is integration: Russian tudes towards Muslims, although there are speakers would have to speak fluent Latvian very few of them. He also said that what he in order to be able to find a decent job. The called Russophobia was one of the preju- argument is acceptable provided that it is dices the programme was designed to eradi- not presented in a form as dubious as that cate. used by President Vaira Vike-Freiberga, who said that the law was designed to A number of incidents and statements ensure that Russian-speakers “become are nevertheless worth mentioning. For Latvians of Russian origin”, adding that “if example, MP Vladimir Buzayev (FRHUL they want to be Russian, they can go to coalition) was suspended for six sessions for Russia”.82 This view is apparently shared by taking the floor to talk about the Russian- politicians in the other Baltic countries: the speaking students’ demonstrations when former Lithuanian President Vytautas the agenda concerned the war in Iraq. In Landsbergis, for example, no doubt November 2003, MP Martijans Bekasovs, believing there were too many Russian then observer to the European Parliament, speakers in Latvia, asked a newspaper, was deprived of his seat in Strasbourg by the “How would the Germans feel if they sud- Latvian Parliament, which accused him of denly had 60 million Turks in their betraying his country’s interests after he had country?”, while the former Estonian circulated a letter to MEPs in September Foreign Minister Toomas Ilves told the same 2003 complaining of the treatment of the newspaper, Moscow uses the [Russian Russian-speaking minority. The LNNK speakers] rather like Hitler used the party, in particular, campaigned against Sudeten Germans. 83 On the other hand, one him, accusing him of anti-state activities cannot take a balanced view of the issue and thus reviving the stereotype of Russian without considering a number of overtly speakers’ alleged “treason”. 86 An MEP

82.Quoted by the Baltic Times , “Unique elections crys- 84.See Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty report, tallize party differences”, 20 May 2004. 10October 2003, by Kathleen Knox. 83.Quoted by EU Reporter , 23-27 February 2004, p. 14. 85.Reported by the Baltic Times on 8 April 2004.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 45 belonging to the Tautas Partija, Rihards rather than as citizens. The government Piks, asked by a journalist whether Latvians spokesman on educational reform, Sergeys should not forgive Russian-speakers for the Ancupovs, apparently said in response to a mistakes committed by the USSR, replied, question about MP Jakov Pliners, a member “the Bible says children must pay for the sins of the FHRUL coalition, “He isn’t Russian, of their parents”. 87 On 28 September 2004 he’s Jewish”.89 the Latvian Supreme Court upheld a judg- ment given in April sentencing Vassili To conclude this case study, I would say Kononov, an 80-year-old, to 20 months’ that there are tensions, verbal excesses and imprisonment for “war crimes”, in this attempts to revive prejudice on both sides. It instance the death of 9 civilians executed is not as such discriminatory to ask a during a partisans’ attack on a village in minority to master the majority’s language 1944. This verdict perfectly reflects the gulf and make entry into the public service, for between the Latvian and Russian views of example, conditional on fluent knowledge the war: Latvians regard Kononov as a war of that language. A state is even perfectly criminal, while Russians see him as a hero of entitled to require people wishing to acquire the struggle against the Nazis, since the exe- its nationality to be fluent in the national cutions took place as part of an attack language. On the other hand, the Latvian against German troops and their local col- majority undoubtedly has difficulty visual- laborators.88 Lastly, I would draw attention ising Russians as full citizens, no doubt on to a statement reflecting the old Soviet habit account of past disputes which have not of classifying Jews as an ethnic minority been settled.

86. Reported by EU-Observer on 5 November 2003. 89. Quoted by the British Helsinki Human Rights 87. EU Reporter op. cit . Group in its report “Latvia: double standards in the 88. Agence France Presse, 28 September 2004. Baltics”, 2004.

General conclusion

T o conclude this overview, which is by no of Turkey’s entry into the EU and that of the means intended to be exhaustive, a few future of Islam in Europe have become argu- trends can be identified in political parties’ ments as important as immigration and the use of xenophobic, racist and antisemitic right of asylum. There, the danger lies in discourse. Firstly, the rise of the far right as reducing Islam to a single dimension and such is no longer comparable in scale to a wrongly assimilating it to its most radical political “groundswell” and seems to have and violent form. The “clash of civilisations” largely stabilised in some countries (Austria, theory is undoubtedly gaining ground, as is France), though it is giving more cause for anti-muslim prejudice, whether one calls it concern in others (Belgium). Consequently, “Islamophobia” or rejects that term on the this end of the political spectrum is no grounds that it is misused by fundamental- longer the only one that spreads racist dis- ists. Thirdly, minority rights remain a deci- course, but one may wonder whether its sive issue in central and eastern Europe. comparative decline does not sometimes go While the forms of xenophobic discourse hand in hand with an ideological victory – associated with territorial disputes have vir- that of having succeeded in imposing its tually disappeared, the general idea persists xenophobic agenda on some democratic that nationality is first and foremost a political movements which are keen to matter of heredity, language, religion and outdo their rivals or quick to believe, in ethnic group, rather than of a civic decision terms of political tactics, that using the far to live together. Roma and Russian- right’s language helps to win back its elec- speaking or Hungarian minorities, for torate or prevent it from emerging. In this example, are rarely referred to as full citi- sense, the crucial problem as of now is the zens in the socially dominant discourse, need for democratic parties to avoid this although substantial progress has been “contamination”, and the main threat to made in various countries (Czech Republic, democracy lies in the use of this type of dis- Slovakia, Hungary) in terms of the authori- course by mainstream parties rather than by ties’ growing awareness of the discrimina- the far right. Secondly, it is quite clear that tory status assigned to Roma in particular in the eyes of both extremists and a small and the steps to be taken to remedy it. proportion of democratic parties, the issue Fourthly, it is essential not to underestimate

46 ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance the disturbing resurgence of antisemitic acts paid to these new forms of xenophobic and and statements by traditional players (the antisemitic discourse, both in legal terms far right), but also new players (Islamists) and in terms of education for tolerance. In and even a fraction of the left and far left; almost all the countries mentioned, the among the latter, criticism of the Israeli basic reason for the use of xenophobic dis- Government’s actions that can be consid- course and antisemitism is obviously the ered legitimate sometimes turns into que- fear aroused primarily among socially or rying or denial of Israel’s right to exist as a economically vulnerable people by the state, or even into truly antisemitic remarks transformation of societies which are under cover of antizionism. Generally comparatively homogeneous in ethnic and speaking, the fact of transposing the terms religious terms into societies that will inevi- of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict into the tably have to move towards multi- national political debate in some countries culturalism. Accepting this kind of society, (particularly in France), the growing media coverage of mutual accusations of anti- coping with the conflicts it engenders semitism and Islamophobia exchanged by through a policy of integration and striking representatives of the Jewish and Muslim the necessary balance between respect for communities and the debate on the issue of individual or group characteristics and citi- whether to make Islamophobic and anti- zenship are the main challenges posed by zionist discourse a criminal offence do much the existence of an enlarged Europe and, to undermine integration, social cohesion more generally, the globalisation of and secularism. Special attention must be exchanges.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 47

IV. Appendices

Programme Public presentation on the use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse Paris, Council of Europe Office, 21 March 2005

2.30 p.m. Opening

by Mr Terry Davis, Secretary General of the Council of Europe

2.45 p.m. Presentation of the study on the use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse

by Mr Jean-Yves Camus, political scientist and author of the study

3.00 p.m. Presentation of ECRI’s Declaration on the use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse

by Mr Michael Head, Chair of ECRI

3.15 p.m. The role of politicians in combating racism, xenophobia, antisemitism and intolerance

by Ms Tana de Zulueta, member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe

3.30 p.m. Discussion with the participants (including questions from the media)

5.30 p.m. Close

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 51

Participants

Speakers Mr Terry Davis Mr Michael Head Secretary General of the Council of Europe, Chair of ECRI, Rustlings, Castle Road, F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex Horsell, GB-Woking, Ms Tana de Zulueta Monsieur Jean-Yves Camus Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of politologue, 21, rue Robert et Sonia the Council of Europe, Senato della Repub- Delaunay, 75011 Paris blica, Piazza S. Eustachio 83, I-00186 Roma

Participants Mr Sergey Belyaev Ms Liz Fekete Moscow Bureau for Human Rights, Bolshoy Deputy Director, Institute for Race Rela- Golovin Pereulok 22, Building 1, PO Box 6, tions, 2-6 Leeke Street, GB-London RU-115455 Moscow WC1X 9HS

Monsieur Mohamed Boukry Monsieur Régis de Gouttes Représentant du UNHCR en France, 9 rue Premier avocat général à la Cour de Cassa- Keppler, F-75016 Paris tion, Membre du Comité des Nations Unies Mr Alexander Brod pour l’élimination de la discrimination Moscow Bureau for Human Rights, Bolshoy raciale, Cour de Cassation, 5 Quai de l’Hor- Golovin Pereulok 22, Building 1, PO Box 6, loge, F-75001 Paris RU-115455 Moscow Monsieur Karl Grünberg Ms Michèle Buteau Association Romande contre le Racisme, United Nations Office of the High Commis- Case Postale 328, CH-1000 LAUSANNE 9 sioner for Human Rights – Research and Right to Development Branch, Palais Monsieur Jérôme Jamin Wilson, 52, rue des Paquis, CH-1201 Geneva Centre d’études de l’ethnicité et des migra- tions (CEDEM), boulevard du Rectorat, 7, Mr Boriss Cilevics 4000 Liège 1, Belgium Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, , Jekaba iela Ms Michelynn Lafleche 10/12, LV-1811 Riga Director, The Runnymede Trust, Suite 106, Madame Elisabeth Cohen-Tannoudji The London Fruit and Wool Exchange, Conseil représentatif des Institutions juives Brushfield Street, GB-London E1 6EP de France (CRIF), Espace Rachi, 39, rue Broca, F-75005 Paris Mr Serguei Lazarev Chief of Section, Fight against Discrimina- Monsieur Serge Cwaigenbaum tion and Racism Section, Division of Human Secrétaire général, Congrès juif européen, Rights and Fight against Discrimination, 78, avenue des Champs Elysées, F-75008 UNESCO, 1, rue Miollis, F-75732 Paris Paris Monsieur Roger Linster Monsieur Samir Djaiz Membre de l’ECRI, 14, rue Siggy vu Letze- Président, Plate-forme Migrants Citoyen- buerg, L-1933 Luxembourg neté européenne, 76 Rue d’Assas, F-75006 Paris Mr Diego Lorente Ms Amina Ek Director, SOS Racismo, Campomanes 13, 2d Director, Center against Racism, Sveavägen izq., E-28013 Madrid 59, Box 3388, S-103 68 Stockholm Monsieur Saimir Mile Monsieur Ali El Baz Centre AVER de Recherche et d’Action sur Association des Travailleurs Maghrébins de toutes les formes de racisme, 31, rue La Fon- France, 10 Rue Affre, F-75018 Paris taine, F-75016 Paris

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 53 Mr Azim Mollazade Mr Aaron Rhodes

Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of Executive Director, International Helsinki the Council of Europe, Parliamentary Ave. 1, Federation for Human Rights, Wickerburg- AZR-Baku AZ1152 gasse 14/7, A-1080 Vienna

Mr Ucha Nanuashvili Mr Luciano Scagliotti Centro di Iniziativa per l’Europa, Via Conte Executive Director, Human Rights Informa- Verde 9, I-10122 Torino tion and Documentation Center, 89/24 Agmashenebeli Ave, GE-Tbilisi 380002 Professor Andrzej Sicinski

Mr Jud Nirenberg Member of ECRI, Fundacja Kultury, Piekna 1 B, PL-00 539 Warsaw Chief Executive Officer, European Roma and Travellers Forum, Council of Europe, F- Monsieur Mohamed Smida 67075 Strasbourg Association des Tunisiens en France, 130 rue du Faubourg poissonnière, F-75010 Paris Mr Theodoros Pangalos

Member of the Parliamentary Assembly of Ms Eva Sobotka the Council of Europe, 16-18 Pireos Str., GR- 10431 Athens European Monitoring Centre on Racism and Xenophobia, Rahlgasse 3, A-1060 Vienna

Ms Nafsika Papanikolatos Ms Greek Helsinki Monitor, Minority Rights Vice-Chair of ECRI, President of the Group, Greece, PO Box 60820, GR-15304 Council for Culture, R.J., Schimmelpennink- Glyka Nera laan 3, NL-2517 JN

Mr Mirek Prokes Mme Catherine Teule United for Intercultural Action, c/o Duha, Secrétaire Générale de la Ligue des Droits de Senovazné nam. 24, CZ-11647 Praha l’Homme (LDH), 138-140, rue Marcadet, 75018 Paris Ms Nav Purewall Monsieur Alex Uberti Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights, Aleje Ujazdowskie 19, PL- Centre Simon Wiesenthal, 64 avenue Mar- 00557 Warsaw ceau, F-75008 Paris

Mr Jaap van Donselaar Mr Zoran Pusic Anne Frank House, Westermarkt 10, PO Civic Committee for Human Rights, Ulica Box 730, NL-1000 AS Grada Vukovara 35 street, HR-Zagreb

Mr Patrick Yu Mr Bashy Quraishy Executive Director, Northern Ireland Chair, European Network against Racism Council for Ethnic Minorities (NICEM), (ENAR), Nyelandsvey 53, DK-2000 Frede- 24-31 Shaftesbury Square, Northern Ireland, riksberg GB-Belfast

Ms Isil Gachet Ms Heike Klempa e cretariat Executive Secretary, European Commission against Racism and Intolerance, Directorate Responsible for relations with civil society, General of Human Rights, Council of European Commission against Racism and Europe, F-67075 Strasbourg Cedex Intolerance

54 ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance ECRI Declaration on the use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse

(adopted on 17 March 2005)

T he European Commission against Racism —Ill considered measures which impact and Intolerance (ECRI), being firmly con- disproportionately on particular groups or vinced that tolerance and pluralism are at affect the latter’s effective enjoyment of the foundation of genuinely democratic human rights are being adopted societies and that diversity considerably enriches these societies: —The long term cohesion of society is damaged

—Condemns the use of racist, antisemitic —Racial discrimination gains ground and xenophobic elements in political dis- course —Racist violence is encouraged. Faced with this situation, ECRI stresses —Stresses that such discourse is ethically that political parties can play an essential unacceptable role in combating racism, by shaping and guiding public opinion in a positive fashion. —Recalls Europe’s history, which shows It suggests the following practical measures: that political discourse that promotes reli- gious, ethnic or cultural prejudice and —Self-regulatory measures which can be hatred considerably threatens social peace taken by political parties or national parlia- and political stability and inevitably leads to ments suffering for entire populations —The signature and implementation by —Is alarmed at the consequences that this European political parties of the Charter of type of discourse is having on the general European Political Parties for a Non-Racist climate of public opinion in Europe Society which encourages a responsible atti- tude towards problems of racism, whether it —Is deeply concerned that the use of concerns the actual organisation of the par- racist, antisemitic and xenophobic political ties, or their activities in the political arena discourse is no longer confined to extremist —Effective implementation of criminal political parties, but is increasingly infecting law provisions against racist offences mainstream political parties, at the risk of (including those establishing racist motiva- legitimising and trivialising this type of dis- tion as an aggravating circumstance) and course racial discrimination, which are applicable to all individuals —Notes with serious concern that this type of discourse conveys prejudices and —The adoption and implementation of stereotypes in respect of non-citizens and provisions penalising the leadership of any minority groups and strengthens the racist group that promotes racism, as well as and xenophobic content of debates on support for such groups and participation in immigration and asylum their activities

—Notes with serious concern that this —The establishment of an obligation to type of discourse often conveys a distorted suppress public financing of organisations image of Islam, intended to portray this reli- which promote racism, including public gion as a threat, and that antisemitism con- financing of political parties tinues to be encouraged, openly or in a ECRI calls on political parties to formu- coded manner, by certain political leaders late a clear political message in favour of and parties. diversity in European societies.

ECRI deplores the fact that, as a result of ECRI calls above all for courageous and the use of racist, antisemitic and xeno- effective political leadership which respects phobic political discourse: and promotes human rights.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 55

Charter of European Political Parties for a Non-Racist Society (, 28 February 1998)

W e, the democratic political parties of purpose of seeking to gain the sympathy of Europe, the electorate for prejudice on such grounds, Having regard to the international Being aware of the special tasks and human rights instruments signed and rati- responsibilities of political parties as actors fied by our European Union Member States, in a democratic political process, defending, in particular to the United Nations Conven- articulating and bearing witness to the basic tion on the Elimination of All Forms of principles of a democratic society; providing Racial Discrimination, a platform for discussion on issues where there may be differences of opinion, inte- Having regard to article 1 of this Conven- grating different views into the process of tion, which defines racial discrimination as political decision making, thereby enabling “… any distinction, exclusion, restriction or society to solve conflicts of interest and of preference based on race, colour, descent or opinion between various social groups national or ethnic origin which has the through dialogue rather than through purpose or effect of nullifying or impairing opting out and conflict; selecting represent- the recognition, enjoyment or exercise on an atives at various levels for active participa- equal footing of human rights and funda- tion in the political process, mental freedoms in the political, economic, social, cultural of any other field of public Convinced that free use of one's political life …”, rights can and must go hand in hand with firmly upholding the principle of non-dis- Having regard to the preamble to the crimination and is inherent in the demo- Single European Act in which the Member cratic process itself, States of the European Community declare Being convinced furthermore that repre- to work together to promote democracy on sentation of ethnic minority groups in the the basis of the fundamental rights recog- political process is properly an integral part nised in the constitutions and laws of the of the democratic process, since political Member States, in the European Convention parties are or should strive to be a reflection for the Protection of Human Rights and of society, Fundamental Freedoms and the European Social Charter, C ommit ourselves to adhere to the fol- Having regard to the Treaty of lowing specific principles of good practice: Amsterdam which enables the European —To defend basic human rights and demo- Community to “… take appropriate action to cratic principles and to reject all forms of combat discrimination based on … racial or racist violence, incitement to racial hatred ethnic origin, religion or belief …” and facili- and harassment and any form of racial dis- tates police and judicial cooperation in the crimination. framework of the European Union in pre- —To refuse to display, to publish or to venting and combating racism and xeno- have published, to distribute or to endorse phobia, in any way views and positions which stir Recognising that the fundamental rights up or invite, or may reason-able be expected as enshrined in the international human to stir up or to invite prejudices, hostility or rights instruments signed and ratified by the division between people of different ethnic EU member states include the right to free or national origins or religious beliefs, and to and uninhibited political speech and debate, deal firmly with any racist sentiments and behaviour within its own ranks. Mindful that according to these same international human rights instruments —To deal responsibly and fairly with sen- one's political freedoms are not absolute in sitive topics relating to such groups and to view of the equally fundamental right to be avoid their stigmatization. protected against racial discrimination and —To refrain from any form of political alli- that therefore political freedoms cannot be ance or cooperation at all levels with any allowed to be abused to exploit, cause or ini- political party which incites or attempts to tiate prejudice on the grounds of race, col- stir up racial or ethnic prejudices and racial our, ethnic origin or nationality or for the hatred.

The use of racist, antisemitic and xenophobic elements in political discourse 57 —To strive for the fair representation of A nd further pledge to take appropriate the above mentioned groups at all levels of action to ensure that all persons who work the parties with a special responsibility for for or associate themselves in any way with the party leadership to stimulate and any of our election campaigns or other activ- support the recruitment of candidates from ities will be aware of and at all times act in these groups for political functions as well accordance with the above principles. as membership,

58 ECRI: European Commission against Racism and Intolerance