Notes on the situation in the European Union

AUSTRIA

Austria is a federal state. Constitution guarantees equality between all Austrian citizens. Organisations with Nazi aims are banned but there are no laws specifically combating racial discrimination.

Assessment
Tough laws on migration and asylum stringently enforced. Much racist hostility towards Roma minority. Nazis have carried out letter-bomb campaigns but biggest and growing racist threat is the Freedom Party (FPÖ), then led by Jörg Haider, which won more than 652,000 votes (23.24%) in the European elections in June 1999.

In the Austrian general election on 3 October 1999, the FPÖ improved on this to win a frightening 1,191,000 votes (27.3%), confirming its position as the second biggest party in Vienna and establishing itself as second in the country. The FPÖ, which demands compulsory repatriation of foreigners and "Austria for the Austrians", became junior partner in a coalition with the conservative Austrian People's Party on 5 February 2000.

BELGIUM

Belgium has devolved government. Equality before the law constitutionally guaranteed for all Belgians and rights of minorities guaranteed.

Assessment
Maintains policy of no immigration and restrictive right to asylum. Situation mirrors that of France. Migrants described by mainstream politicians as "an invasion".

Extreme-right Vlaams Blok (VB) strong in northern, Flemish-speaking region where it has the support of more than 20% of the electorate. The VB demands forced expulsion of foreigners, and amnesty for Belgian SS men and wartime Nazi collaborators, and won 675,000 votes (9.2%) in the European Parliamentary elections in June 1999. In the 1999 national elections, the VB polled 9.8% - an increase of 2% on its 1995 vote - and increased its representation in the lower house of Parliament from 11 seats to 15 seats. In the upper house, its improved showing gave the VB four seats.

DENMARK

No existing constitutional provisions against racial discrimination.

Assessment
Traditional tolerance of foreigners attacked by anti-immigrant politicians who have demanded tougher entry laws. Number of refugees has thus fallen in past five years. Most now from former Yugoslavia. Racist attacks at a low level. Anti-racists are well organised. Popular racism still a stigma. Nazis very weak but internationally well-connected via the front organisation NS88, especially in the skinhead music scene. Swastika flags can be openly displayed. Respectable racist parties fare better than hardcore nazis. In the June 1999 European Parliamentary elections, the virulently anti-immigrant Dansk Folkeparti won 114,000 votes (5.8%) and one seat in Strasbourg.

FINLAND

Constitution guarantees equality before the law for all Finnish citizens.

Assessment
Finland has a state policy of zero immigration and only reluctantly accepts asylum seekers (a maximum of 500 a year). Racism at street and community level not seen as a serious problem in the country but nazi skinheads are violent towards non-Europeans. Little public debate on racist incidents and discrimination. Fascist movement weak but a small and active nazi skin scene, with close connections to Sweden, exists.

FRANCE

Constitution guarantees equality before the law. There is provision for laws/regulations applying only to foreigners. No legal recognition of minority groups.

Assessment
Very tight laws on migration, asylum and citizenship. Open discrimination in social sphere - jobs, housing, education etc. - against black French citizens, despite the body of law. Police racism rampant, despite establishment of anti-racist units in 70 regions by Justice Ministry. Organised racism very strong. Four and a half million (14%) voted in 1995 for Front National (FN). Much random racist and antisemitic violence but real situation played down by authorities.

The threat of a united fascist party receded when the FN split in December 1998. However, the potential for such a party was graphically illustrated by the European election results in June 1999. Three parties - the FN, the Mouvement National (now MNR) and the movement led by former Interior Minister Charles Pasqua - polled a higher percentage (22.09%) than ever gained by the FN, whose own share fell to 5.71%. In municipal elections in March 2001, the extreme right retained control of three cities, Vitrolles, Orange and Marignane, but saw their percentage of the vote fall.

GERMANY

Germany is a federal state. Legislative power divided between federal state and 17 regions. Each region has own constitution and legislative powers.

Article 3 of federal constitution guarantees equality before law regardless of race, sex, parentage, language, homeland, origin, faith, religious or political opinions. No special legislation against discrimination.

Article 21 declares unconstitutional any parties which seek to abolish the democratic order.

Criminal law penalises:
unconstitutional organisations from displaying symbols and spreading propaganda
incitement to violence and hatred against 'segments' of the population
disturbing the peace of the dead
Holocaust denial
insult with violence
defaming the memory of the dead
distribution of publications morally harmful to youth.

Assessment
Officially not a "country of immigration". Citizenship law (1913) based on blood line and German ancestry. Foreigners have "guest" status. Liberal right to asylum drastically modified 1993 after racist terror wave. Everyday discrimination and anti-foreigner violence are rife. In the past year, nazi crimes have leapt by over 50%.

Organised racism is strong but the nazi groups have been temporarily weakened by state bans. There are approximately 50,900 active extreme-rightists in four main groupings: the German People's Union (DVU) (17,000 members), the Republicans (REP) (13,000), the National Democratic Party (NPD) (6,500) and the independent Kameradschaften, which number approximately 9,700. In early 2001, the federal government applied to the Constitutional Court for the NPD to be outlawed.

The REP won 437,000 votes (9%) in the Baden-Württemberg regional election, March 1996. Another fascist party, the DVU, won 192,000 votes (13%) in Saxony-Anhalt regional election, April 1998. In the general election on 27 September 1998 the far right as a whole polled 2,280,000 votes.

Fascists now sit in federal state parliaments in Bremen, Brandenburg and Saxony-Anhalt.

Statistics are available from both police and internal security service [Verfassungsschutz].

GREECE

Assessment
Foreign population largely integrated into Greek society but tension exists between Greeks and Moslems - a result of conflict with Turkey. Also, reports of discrimination against Roma. Extreme-right makes little mark. Attitude to all foreigners is generally friendly. No visible spillover from the crisis in the Balkans (Kosovo), despite the influx of large numbers of refugees.

IRELAND

Constitution guarantees equality before the law.

Assessment
Lowest level of racist violence in Europe but considerable abuse and discrimination against Traveller population. Judged by an EU report as one of the least tolerant countries towards minorities. Fascists almost non-existent but sometimes sporadic racist violence in urban centres and some antisemitic propaganda. An anti-abortion group, Youth Defence, was exposed in Searchlight as having direct connections with leading neo-nazis across Europe. Moves to provide equal status and outlaw wider discrimination still to be enacted. Some evidence of mounting popular racism.

ITALY

Constitution guarantees equality before law and provides for general ban on all forms of discrimination.

Assessment
Migration laws drastically tightened November 1995 to bring Italy into line with EU. Racism and xenophobia growing. Foreigners, especially Roma and North Africans seen as a problem. Fascist Alleanza Nazionale (AN) strong. Was part of coalition government March-December 1994 and took 14.1% in April 1995 regional elections.

In the May 2001 general election the AN polled 12%, giving it around 100 deputies and a place in Silvio Berlusconi's new coalition government.

In the June 1999 European elections, the total percentage vote for fascist candidates was 16.9%. AN members spearhead much racist activity and have been joined by the revived Movimento Sociale Italiano, the violent Forza Nuova (FN) and Hammerskins. The former organisation is led by convicted terrorist Roberto Fiore and affiliated to the fascist International Third Position. The FN has massively increased its influence amongfootball hooligans and in the skinhead scene. Despite this, Italy remains relatively tolerant of minorities but fascist terrorism is a constant danger, exemplified by the bombing of the Il manifesto newspaper by an FN associate in December 2000.

LUXEMBOURG

(of which 90% are EU Nationals.

Assessment
Judged to be one of the countries most tolerant to minorities in the EU. This was reflected in the action of the authorities in rounding up and expelling neo-nazis when they decided to attempt to stage a commemoration rally for Rudolf Hess, Hitler's deputy.

THE NETHERLANDS

Constitution's Article 1 lays down principles of equality and non-discrimination.

Assessment
Traditional liberalism in migration and asylum matters has been eroded by "Fortress Europe" measures. Government policies aimed at greater integration a partial success but racism growing. Rotterdam had self-declared nazi councillors but far right was wiped out completely in municipal and general elections in 1998 and the 1999 European elections. Racist violence remains comparatively low. Most complaints to Ombudsman are about the police.

PORTUGAL

Constitution provides same rights - except political rights - for foreigners or stateless people as for Portuguese citizens. It also protects workers from racial discrimination; provides for equality in access to education, specifically outlaws fascist organisations.

Assessment
Constitutional provisions against discrimination but Portugal increasingly forced to meet EU demands on migration and asylum. Racist and fascist groups politically unimportant but active in main cities. Police attitudes and brutality, however, are a bigger problem for black people than fascists. Also, a law exists on 'nomadism' which could be used against Roma.

SPAIN

Constitutional equality before the law and prohibition of discrimination on racial grounds. Right to human dignity upheld.

Assessment
There are no laws against racist statements or remarks. Open nazi publications printed in Spain and exported. Racism in population towards Roma has grown threefold since 1986; towards Arabs it has doubled and towards black people tripled. Draconian asylum laws have dramatically reduced number of asylum-seekers. Fascists violent but electorally lame, polling less than 1%, and not strong enough to field candidates in the June 1999 European elections. Police repression against black people far more prevalent.

SWEDEN

Constitution forbids discrimination, restricts freedom of association for racist groups and prohibits incitement of racial hatred in the media. State empowered to promote cultural development of minorities.

Assessment
Historically humanitarian (though collaborated extensively with Nazis in the war and operated compulsory sterilisation policies till the 1980s), tolerant and liberal but migration and asylum regulations now far more stringent than ever. Racism at street level has not discernibly increased but surveys show majority of Swedes cautious of black people.

Storm network/VAM/National Socialist Front (NSF) nazis notorious for murder, violence and armed terror actions. In May 1999, NSF nazis executed two policemen during an armed bank raid and then in June car-bombed anti-fascists in Stockholm and police officers in Malmö. The following October, National Youth-linked fascists murdered trade unionist Björn Söderberg. Nazi-skinhead youth/music culture highly visible. The HQ of the nazi hate music outlets NS88 and Nordland are in Sweden.

In the last Swedish general election, the fascist Sweden Democrats polled 19,600 votes.