Raising Threat In Europe: Racism

Not only racist attacks. There is another indicator for rise of racism. Racist parties outvoted in the elections existed in last few years. This shows racist policies started to be supported by a group of European voters. This situation threatens in general humanity but especially future of the Europe Union, belived to be a democracy project.

Racist Attack Targeting Gypsies In France

Since October 28, France is not only a country where Gypsies could be deported from but also a country where Gypsies could face racist attacks. People gunned and masked attacked a Gypsy camp in Triel-Sur-Seine which is one of the biggest ghettos of Paris at October 28.

Two civilian car with police car siren joined the camp in the early hours of October 28, Thursday. Attackers with police uniform were masked and gunned. They got out from the cars. They started to random shot. They also attacked and damaged Gypsies's caravans with sticks in their hands.

Attackers peeled off a Gypsy womans clothes by force. They took personel documents like passport, identification cars... Attacks just like this have happened in other European countries like Italy, Hungary, Czech Republic in last few years. Situation in parliaments of European countries, being hoped to find solutions to the problem, are also bad as it's in streets.

Rise of the Racist Parties

Racist parties outvoted in elections since 2000. A racist party, which have the word democrat in its name (Swedish Democrats) in spite of having policies against muslims and immigrants and offering authoritative policies about the problems deriving from the economic crisis, won 20 chair in Swedis Parliament. Vote percentages of taken by the other racist parties in Europe show how big the threat is. National Front in France: %11,9; North League in Italy: %8,3; People Party of Switzerland: %28,9; Jobbik in Hungaria: %16,7; Growth Party in Norway: %22,9. These vote percentages are enough to make racist parties partners of coalition governments or effective determining of critical decisions just the ones like about situation of immigrants.

On the other hand some of the racist parties (like jobbik) have relationships with paramilitary organizations making appearances with uniforms and racist symbols often. Racist parties could support paramilitary organizations indirectly. Some of them have organic relationships with paramiliatary organizations. So there is racist line between street and parliament. There are so many web pages, forum, online networks and shops selling flags with racist symbols supporting the line in various ways. This situation show racism, which was marginal in the past is being popular today.

Racism, which was accepted as a way of policy making of a few presumptuous marginal people for only 15 years ago, is something more than social deviance of a few presumptuous people. Racism is turning to an usual part of daily life in Europe. Worse than this, it start to become a power in European parliaments. If the situation of being a marginal policy being limited in small street demonsrations become reversed? In other words, if only way of making policy for anti-racists starts to be small street demonstrations and anti-racists become marginal; and then what happens?

From Where To Where?

The Second World War showed the danger of mass destruction policy of fascism. Millions of people were killed in gas chambers, concentration camps. Many measures were taken after the war to hinder repeating of the events lived in the war. Thus the main reason of founding of The United Nation was to have lasting peace. Founding of The European Union was one of the results of the will of European nations through not to war but to ply a trade among themselves. Main aim of founding of the European Union was to let capital, labour and goods to move freely without being stopped by borders and to serve out earnings equally among member states. It's not possible to say this ideal could completely be realised.

Today, member states are not fighting with eachother. However there are some problems about the right to move and to settle freely for people without vocational education. People are being hindered to use the right to move freely in various ways. This prevention is generally being legitimated with the claim of immigrants to join criminal activities.

On the other, the economic crisis causes people living in the European Union to lose some ot their life standarts. Government parties are trying to create solutions long and short termed about economic crisis not to lose government. Finding a sacrificial lamb is one of easiest one of short-termed solutions to hide responsibility of government parties about the crisis.

The sacrificial lamb is generally Gypsies or immigrants as a category including Gypsies. When a social or ethnic group become sacrificial lamb, this means "the true" place people could reflect their anger to is founded. Without leaving policies to create sacrificial lambs, rise of racism would not be stopped and racism will spread as an usual part of daily life.

Some Critical Questions

There is two indicator for us showing it's time to think seriously about the rise of racism: The racist attack is organized by a group of people with police uniform. The racist attack is existed in a country, France, accepted as a source of inspiration for democracy. Let's make an addiction to this thinking process about the rise of racism with some questions:

1-Isn't the experience of Germany during the 2th World War enough to understand how kind of a threat racism is for humanity? Should all countries have their own fascisms to understand the situation?

2-Are racists changing their position with anti-racists? Are anti-racists losing their power in parliaments? If racists decisions start to rise coming from parliaments, street demonstration could make any influence on parliaments organized by anti-rasists?

3-Is the enlargement process of the European Union only a political strategy today? Are the importance of Copenhagen Accession Criteria decreasing to accept new members? Are there any relationship with acceptance of Bulgaria and Romania to the Union and the rise of racism?

4-Are the mechanism created for integration of new member states suitable for contemporary circumstances? Is it need to create new integration policies suitable to new circumstances existed with globalization?

5-Is only allocating funds enough to solve problems of disadvantaged groups living in the Union? Should new policies to stop the rise of racism and help disadvantaged groups on health, housing and employment topics be created?

Source: This article was compiled by Cingeneyiz International, published first on 12. Nov 2010 @ :: cingeneyiz.org, For the details of racist attack in France: Romea.cz.