Far-right in EP

First, after numerous concessions, and turning a blind-eye to economic and social woes of the two new members of the European Union, Bulgaria and Romania were allowed to (limp) in.

And now it appears the new members will be bringing some ‘contribution’ to the EU:

The European Parliament looks set to have the first far-right grouping within its corridors by mid-January, with MEPs from new member states Bulgaria and Romania helping to make the formation possible.

Under EU rules, there need to be at least 19 MEPs from five different member states for a political group to be formed.

[…] the group is likely to have at least 20 members and will have a "minimal consensus" programme being broadly against immigration, against Turkey's EU membership, against the EU constitution for its "tendencies...towards a central government."

The loose programme marks the disharmony between the different national elements with one of their main motives for forming a group being to get more say in the European Parliament.

"It is more a technical than a political group," Alessandra Mussolini, grand daughter of the facist Il Duce, told APA.

"We are mainly getting together out of necessity. Survival is only possible in a political group," she added, referring to the fact that groups have a right to more funds and political positions in the European Parliament, something non-attached MEPs do not have.

And I thought one of the fundamental conditions of EU membership was to eliminate racial discrimination and respect human rights and freedoms in the aspirant member state.

The far-right parties of Bulgaria and Romania are set to join other parties across Europe, including the French Front National and Belgian Vlaams Belang, and the UK’s (far-right) British MP Ashley Mote. The latter recently had this to say about how, in the light of the fading true meaning of Christmas, Britain is losing its identity because:

This may be Christmastime, but I bring you a bleak message. And it is too important to ignore.

In a nutshell, it is this: the indigenous population of this country will be in a minority within fifty years, unless huge changes are made, and fast.

The Britain we know and love, and our way of life, faces destruction. The threat comes from within.

[…]

We have a responsibility to pass our inheritance on to our children, and to their children. We surely don’t need reminding of the millions of lives laid down to protect and preserve these precious rights and freedoms, which today are our birthright as British subjects.

There is much to do, and no time to lose.

Our only claim to the British Isles is that we are here. Our forebears settled and developed it. We now control it – at least for the moment – and we must defend it or lose it.

Worrying.

• See “Far-right MEPs set to join forces”
• Report on Bulgaria and Romania’s compliance with EU acquis (standards).