Courtesy of Mish.
Eurosceptics are on the rise in the UK, Italy, France, Finland, and even Germany. The problem is they have no united voice. Here are a couple of recent articles that discuss the situation.
The National Post reports Europhobes gain clout: Xenophobic, right-wing and anti-EU parties catch on as elections near
Mr. Farage, leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP), sips his pint of beer with the smile of a man on track to win the biggest share of British votes in elections this month for the European Parliament — a parliament Mr. Farage wants to abolish, along with the entire 28-nation European Union bloc.
“The whole thing is a monstrosity,” he said. “We want our country back. It’s been sold out.”
Increasing numbers of voters agree with him — not just in euro-wary island nation Britain, but across the continent.
Polls suggest Euroskeptic parties could take between 25% and 30% of the 751 European Parliament seats in May 22-25 elections. In Britain, Mr. Farage’s UKIP — which advocates UK withdrawal from the EU and has never won a seat in the British Parliament — has pulled ahead of the Labour Party into first place. The Conservatives, who lead Britain’s coalition government, look likely to finish an embarrassing third.
Euroskeptic parties rail against the EU red tape they say enmeshes farmers and businesses, and against the open borders that mean French and British workers must compete with jobseekers from Poland or Spain.
Their message appeals to right-wingers opposed to immigration and worried about national identity and growing Muslim communities. But it also echoes left-wing concerns about the power of banks and big business.
In Greece, the country worst hit by the financial crisis, opposition to the EU stretches from the Communist Party and left-wing Syriza to right-of-centre Independent Greeks and neo-fascist Golden Dawn.
Such animosity may be expected in beleaguered Greece or ambivalent Britain, which is not among the 18 countries using the euro. But countries that have been among the strongest supporters of the union are also seeing a surge in skepticism.
Finland’s Finns Party became the third-largest force in the national parliament in 2011 and has pushed mainstream parties into a more critical stance on Europe with its call to restrict immigration and claw back some powers from the EU. It doesn’t want to leave the bloc, but it strongly opposes bailouts, saying richer countries have done too much for ailing eurozone members.
In Italy, the anti-establishment Five Star Movement led by comedian Beppe Grillo is polling about 25% of the vote ahead of the European elections. Mr. Grillo argues Italians have subjected themselves to European control in exchange for membership in the single currency and has said Five-Star will push for a referendum on leaving the euro.
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