The rise of the new right

There was no earthquake. Europe didn't jump to the right, it just shuffled a little. And what is 'The Right' anyway? What is fascism in the twenty first century? Is the far right really on the rise?

Marine Le Pen's success in this year's European elections stunned France and shocked most of Europe. Le Pen's Front National won 24 seats in the European elections and came first in terms of their share of the popular vote -- but only 10 of the EU's 28 member states elected far right MEPs.

Writing in the Washington Post, Dutch-born Cas Mudde, an assistant professor in the School for Public and International Policy at the University of Georgia, said: "There was a total increase of 15 far right MEPs compared to the 2009 election, but the Front National alone gained an extra 21 seats! In many ways, the success of the European far right is really the success of the FN."

We went to Paris to speak with the Front National, and also with the ruling Socialist Party -- which was crushed in the popular vote.

Author and moderator: Brian Maguire, political correspondent

-------------------------------
Get more videos of our "EU Files" series at

Subscribe to our channel at
-------------------------------

[mvdrebel]

Is it really happening? Thank God! Finally.

[rattersnatters]

We are the men among the ruins. If we fail to be the generation that defends Europe, we will succeed in being the last to see it exist.

[medpub]

Maybe some of this "far right" vote is also a stand against creeping Islam across Europe (Especially as Sweden and Norway saw an increase in the so called "Far right" vote). Lets call it "A stitch in time" vote.

[cicero]

All this talk about economy yet nobody braught up what the indigenous feel they should do. Our future shouldn't be decided by non europeans.

[american]

Thank God Europe is finally moving away from the far left.

[Joscope]

"Monarchy is in the DNA of the Right" or does Europe just struggle with the idea of keeping monarchies alive and relevant to a certain degree while integrating representative democracies and strong central governments?  That seems to be the issue, at least from an outsider's viewpoint.  The Right in the United States is still tied strongly to the idea of the Republic from which the party derives it's name.  Monarchs, fascist dictators, demigods, have no real place in a true Republic.  My opinion is for the European Union to last centuries long the idea of a true European Republic will need to gradually take hold and the people will have to state with certainty 'I am a European' first and 'I am an Italian' or 'I am a German" or whatever second.  Otherwise social and monetary strife will continue to tear at the fabric of what started out as a great experiment that still has enormous potential.

[DominicLondon]

There are a lot of people denying the factuality of this video which is easy to do, but if you actually watched and listened true and fair points were raised. Nationalism and patriotism or not good, but do not get that confused with solidarity which is something very different.