Motion for a resolution | Doc. 13103 | 22 January 2013

Measures to combat the rising popularity of right-wing extremism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism in the Council of Europe’s member States

Signatories: Mr Jerzy MONTAG, Germany, SOC ; Lord Donald ANDERSON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Mörður ÁRNASON, Iceland, SOC ; Mr Joris BACKER, Netherlands, ALDE ; Ms Doris BARNETT, Germany, SOC ; Mr Deniz BAYKAL, Turkey, SOC ; Mr Joe BENTON, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Levan BERDZENISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Ms Gülsün BİLGEHAN, Turkey, SOC ; Ms Ankie BROEKERS-KNOL, Netherlands, ALDE ; Mr Irakli CHIKOVANI, Georgia, ALDE ; Ms Lise CHRISTOFFERSEN, Norway, SOC ; Mr Boriss CILEVIČS, Latvia, SOC ; Mr Michael CONNARTY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr David CRAUSBY, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Jim DOBBIN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Ms Josette DURRIEU, France, SOC ; Mr Jean-Claude FRÉCON, France, SOC ; Ms Corina FUSU, Republic of Moldova, ALDE ; Mr Antonio GUTIÉRREZ, Spain, SOC ; Ms Carina HÄGG, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Mike HANCOCK, United Kingdom, ALDE ; Mr Kent HÄRSTEDT, Sweden, SOC ; Mr Jim HOOD, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Igor IVANOVSKI, ''The former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia'', SOC ; Mr Tadeusz IWIŃSKI, Poland, SOC ; Ms Tinatin KHIDASHELI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Haluk KOÇ, Turkey, SOC ; Mr Jean-Yves LE DÉAUT, France, SOC ; Mr François LONCLE, France, SOC ; Mr Dirk Van der MAELEN, Belgium, SOC ; Ms Guguli MAGHRADZE, Georgia, SOC ; Mr Pietro MARCENARO, Italy, SOC ; Ms Vesna MARJANOVIĆ, Serbia, SOC ; Ms Meritxell MATEU PI, Andorra, ALDE ; Sir Alan MEALE, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Jean-Pierre MICHEL, France, SOC ; Ms Riitta MYLLER, Finland, SOC ; Mr Johannes PFLUG, Germany, SOC ; Ms Linda RIORDAN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr René ROUQUET, France, SOC ; Ms Marlene RUPPRECHT, Germany, SOC ; Mr Stefan SCHENNACH, Austria, SOC ; Ms Marina SCHUSTER, Germany, ALDE ; Mr Frank SCHWABE, Germany, SOC ; Mr Jim SHERIDAN, United Kingdom, SOC ; Mr Yanaki STOILOV, Bulgaria, SOC ; Mr Christoph STRÄSSER, Germany, SOC ; Ms Chiora TAKTAKISHVILI, Georgia, ALDE ; Mr Konstantinos TRIANTAFYLLOS, Greece, SOC ; Ms Nataša VUČKOVIĆ, Serbia, SOC ; Ms Katrin WERNER, Germany, UEL ; Mr Jordi XUCLÀ, Spain, ALDE

This motion has not been discussed in the Assembly and commits only those who have signed it.

Parties with xenophobic, racist and anti-Semitic elements in their programmes, including the Greek party Chrysi Avgi and the Hungarian party Jobbik, and politicians who assert fascist and neo-Nazi views and use racist language have recently experienced a rise in popularity. In this context, the symbols and structures of Nazi and fascist parties from the past, such as party logos reminiscent of swastikas, are being used and groups of thugs who attack immigrants formed.

Most of these parties were previously only able to gain a small proportion of votes. Yet they have now managed to get into parliaments.

The Parliamentary Assembly should address the phenomenon of the growing popularity of right-wing extremism, the exploitation of people's fears and insecurities to incite xenophobia and anti-Semitism, and the reasons for the increasing popularity of right-wing extremist positions. A report should analyse and evaluate existing concepts for combating right-wing extremism and deliberate on stronger countermeasures, including the question of how the Council of Europe and the Assembly should behave towards members of such parties.