The Rise of the Far Right Across Europe: What’s Driving It?

Who will be the next French Prime Minister? How serious is the threat of Germany’s far-right? Is Brazil right to suspend X? What is the history of No. 10’s Larry the Cat?

Join Rory and Alastair as they answer all this and more on today's episode of The Rest Is Politics & Question Time.

Podcast episode: 310 + 311

00:00 Intro
00:51 Why the far-right is rising across Europe
13:00 Closer look into the far-right in Austria
16:57 Who will be the next French Prime Minister?
29:50 Britain compared to German and French politics
35:34 Ad Break
36:44 Israel anti-government protests - what is Netanyahu’s next move?
49:00 Global reactions to the UK suspending arms exports to Israel
53:36 Ofsted scraps one-word judgements in Britain’s schools
01:00:29 Is Brazil right to suspend X?
01:09:22 Why is Labour against a youth mobility scheme with the EU?
01:14:36 Was Labour’s ban to stop smoking in pub gardens a comms mistake?
01:17:21 Why is the press calling our Deputy PM 'Angela Raver'?
01:23:14 Why is the media not reporting on women's suffrage in Afghanistan?
01:29:41 What to do in Crieff?
01:30:56 Larry the Cat anecdotes
01:37:01 Outro

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[Jesyce]

Wow two clearly intelligent humans avoiding the elephant in the room for 90min... Guys shape the hell up

[RobertPender]

Rory is so easy to listen to - His calm and informed take on everything is so refreshing - No hyperbole - No BS - Pure honesty. Such a brilliant podcast with 2 completely differing ideological sides of the UK politics. We need more of this over the divisive culture war nonsense that is dominating "podcastistan" today

[Llooktook]

I have become fed up with the incessant critiquing of populism and overall right wing shift in Europe whilst hearing nothing what so ever on WHY these people feel the way they do. Both Rory and Alister exemplify the technocratic centrist government, that ISN'T centrist on public opinion, but rather Centrist on what they deem to be right. It's incredibly patronising and inflames the tensions we already have.

[barryyoung]

The biggest surprise about the rise of the “Hard Right” is that our political commentators are surprised. This has been brewing for a long time. Centrist politics have created this mess. At its core the whole issue of uncontrolled immigration and the knock on effects e.g. lack of integration, impact on services and infrastructure, perception that these individuals are prioritised over existing Nationals etc….

I don’t blame them for reacting they have nowhere else to go. It’s now up to the centrist parties to listen and change . However I suspect they will not as they see these people as “baskets of deplorables”.

They do so at their own risk…..

[felixenigma]

The whole rise of the far right in Europe is explained in one sentence “ Wir schaffen das nicht”. If you take on record levels of immigration you better well be effective and strict in integration. The “ ruling class” always glossed over this in the worst way possible and now Europe has fundamental problems at every level ( economic, financial, cultural, religious, sociological, demographically).

[SuperCrabbycrab]

You should make an episode on Denmark, and how the far-right has more or less died, because the center parties began doing serious strict immigration policies (Not anti-immigration) ; which has shown positive effects, even for immigrants themselves, having everyone better integration into society. Also EU's effect on reducing asylum seekers since the refugee crisis by having the application centers in bordering states. I feel this point of view is lacking, when talking about the-far right and immigration. There are examples in your neighboring country, how to do immigration- and dealing with the far right. Bring in Helle Thorning, maybe she knows more on how they dealt with DF and the far right.

[lublondon]

Guys, as much I appreciate you and your opinions, you’re missing (omitting) the mess which the mass migration is causing in germany. That’s the underpinnings of all issues. 2015 was fundamental wrong decision (which helped flipped Brexit, in my opinion)

[suburbanyobbo]

Have you tried controlling immigration?

[theresalwayssomethingtobui]

As an Austrian living in Eastern Germany at the moment, this podcast is very interesting - Thank you for picking up the topics!

To put a few things into a broader picture, from personal experience:
What I saw over the past couple of months in Eastern Germany is a mix of a few phenomena leading to the right wing uprise: 1) Yes, Eastern Germany often feels left behind. This is not only seen in where the money goes (eg more than 75 % of rent goes to western German owners, who baught the cheap houses after the Wall fell), but also in the way the Grundgesetz (constitution) is representing Eastern Germany. 2) After the Berlin Wall fell, a lot of well educated people left for the West. For higher wages, for their relatives, for better perspective and less unknown components. To this day, wages in the same company are not the same throughout Germany (due to, as was stated, the federal states' power). So still, a lot of young people study here (great Unis) and then leave. This is especially true for young women. And here's the thing: Women (according to sociology studies) are more likely to provide stable communities. How? They invite the neighbours for coffee, they bake cake for a school festivity and so on. So you end up with old and young frustrated people, more men that women in the countryside and bahm. Political radicalisation in any direction - left or right - sprouts. 3) Due to social media and (again) lower standards in education, populism has a strong hold on voters. Misinformation (especially regarding Ukraine, Russia etc.) has an amazing breeding ground in this environment. But, I am not so shure, if this actually will lead to a rethinking in the estabilshed parties for the upcoming election next year...

In Austria, politics is highly influenced by immigration still. Per capita, 9 years ago, more asylum seekers where taken on than in most countries in the EU. Kickl (who yes is highly intelligent and talented - I fully agree with the Jörg Haider comparison) is very successful in using this topic, mashing it with poulism and anti-establishment slogans. What is interesting tough, he does not take voters from the conservatives - but from the working class/ socialist party! Putin and Russia are a whole different beast being kind of swept under the rug. There was a big spy-scandal recently in the secret service, where empolyees hired by the FPÖ in their time in the office for inner affairs. There are likely ties to Russia, moles in high positions affiliated to the FPÖ. And yet: No one talks about this with Kickl as head of the right wing party. The complacancy and even sympathy for the right wing in Austria is bizarre even to a lot of Austrians.

[geordie]

What's driving it? Surely the "hard right" gained traction because goverments ignored the socio-cultural issues caused by mass immigration from a different theocratic culture? The interesting question here is why these two gentlemen prefer to talk about everything else but the problematic features of that culture?

[DrakenKorin]

I don't think it's a coincidence that extremism is increasing as living standards are dropping. The moderates need to push harder on solving today's problems

[Metaphix]

Who knows what's driving it, absolute mystery. No one could possibly know.

[Nomoreanons]

I spent a couple of years working in Germany when I was 20/21. I benefitted enormously from the experience. I am 59 now and feel very sad that my children don't have this opportunity.

[sup]

Middle class privileged people talking about issues they simply do not understand and certainly don’t experience (other than affordable cleaners)

[alishamay]

'went on kind of a knifing rampage' so incessantly flippant Alastair. Just constant.

[AdamCarroll-db]

I'm a regular follower of Larry the Cat, he's a modern national treasure! Much like Stephen Fry

[RachelDavies-wnir]

Why does the government waste money on an art collection? In Australia, we have Artbank, which invests in emerging artists and rents out art to government and private enterprise. The income means Artbank is self funding, and new artists are supported.

[SnabbKassa]

I'm glad that you ask "What’s Driving It?" in your thumbnail because it answers itself. What's driving it is that politicians that DON'T get labelled far right can still earnestly ask that question, or they know the answer but refuse to touch that subject. They might be right that touching it will open a can or worms, but it's better to do so sooner rather than later.

[rodd]

Came for the great debate and stayed for Rory’s amazing facial expressions 🤩

[adeschannel]

Rory is such an aristocrat "Sorry, my bell is about to ring" 😂