According to reports, Neo-Nazism is becoming more popular and politically influential across
Europe, even gaining seats in some national parliaments.
Germany has one of the largest neo-Nazi parties, called the National Democratic Party,
or NPD.
Just like the original Nazi party in the 1920s and 30s, the NPD labels itself “national
socialist” . A spokesperson for German Chancellor, Angela Merkel,
called the NPD “anti-democratic, xenophobic, anti-Semitic and ... a threat to the constitution.”
In
recent years, the NPD has gained a seat in two out of the sixteen regional German parliaments
.
And in 2014, Udo Voigt holocaust denier and former leader of the NPD,
joined the European Parliament as an elected member . Officials in Germany have launched
a legal attempt to ban the party, as they’ve done successfully in the past with two other
Nazi- sympathizing political parties, but haven’t
found success yet.
Other European countries are also dealing with this problem.
In Greece, in 2014, the “Golden
Dawn” party received over 9 percent of the vote, gaining 3 seats in the European parliament.
In
Slovakia, in 2013, the former leader of a banned neo-Nazi organization was elected governor
to
a large central region.
And Russian President Vladimir Putin remarked in 2014, that open neo-
Nazism has “become commonplace in Latvia and other Baltic states.”
So, what is causing the re-emergence of National Socialism?
Some experts think the rise of
nazi values is caused by a sudden influx of immigrants.
The New York Times notes that ethnic
tensions have emerged in Germany because of “demographic changes.”
The International
Business Times finds that since 2013, a flood of Syrian refugees have entered Bulgaria and
sparked anti-immigrant protests and attacks there.
Others have linked the 2008 European recession and high youth unemployment with the rise
of neo-Nazism.
With around 20 to 50 percent of young people unemployed in some nations, the
neo-Nazi parties function as a gang or a cult that recruits the young and the poor.
World leaders are watching the re-kindling of neo-Nazism carefully and doing their best
to stem the tide.
The fact is that Nazi salutes and paraphernalia have been made illegal in
some places like Germany, but Nazis values are unfortunately more difficult to regulate
than
paraphernalia.
And as a result Nazism is still alive, just under different names.
You know what would be the ultimate way to troll this video?
NOT putting pro Nazi
comments.
Man would that show us.
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