Fascism reviving in Spain and the rest of Europe

[Tracy Riddle]

A Fascist Revival Stirs in Spain

October 19, 2013

Exclusive: The economic pain from the Wall Street crash of 2008 and the ensuing Great Recession has fueled the right-wing Tea Party movement in the United States and a revival of fascism in parts of Europe, including hard-hit Spain where some leaders are promoting the brutal Franco era, writes Andrés Cala.
By Andrés Cala
Last week, a mayor of a Madrid suburb threatened through his Twitter account to send some "skinheads" to target opposition political leaders. The mayor, a member of the ruling conservative Popular Party, later said he was just joking and no "skinheads" actually showed up to rough up the mayor's opponents.
In Galicia, an area in Spain's northwest, the mayor of another town under Popular Party rule proudly showcases in his office a picture of fascist dictator Francisco Franco. The mayor also plays the fascist anthem to anyone who will listen. Yet, he has faced no official reprimand. (Last week, a small bomb believed set by anarchists damaged one of his municipal buildings.)

Fascist Gen. Francisco Franco, saluting his troops.

And earlier this month, a small town near Madrid, also governed by the Popular Party (or PP), allowed a fascist group to put up a stand in a public school exhibiting Franco-era and Nazi memorabilia. Officials later apologized and said that they weren't aware of the stand.

Though anecdotal, these incidents fit with a rising public nostalgia for the Franco era in Spain and are symptomatic of a broader resurgence of extreme right-wing ideology in Europe and globally. Renewed sympathy for fascism in Spain also stirs troubling memories because the Spanish Civil War in the 1930s was an early victory for European fascism. Spain also was the last European state to cast off fascism in 1975.
Another point of concern is that nationalist, populist and fascist movements have historically found fertile ground during times of economic pain, like that felt across much of the world since the Wall Street crash of 2008. In reacting to the financial crisis and in grappling with the public's anger over lost jobs and lost benefits mainstream democratic parties have seen their legitimacy questioned and their political support drained.
In Spain and to a lesser extent in some other European countries the immediate danger is not so much from a handful of incipient reactionary movements, but rather from the underlying official permissiveness from more mainstream conservative parties, like the Popular Party, bordering on patronage.
Some elected Popular Party officials and party militants are openly making the Nazi salute, proudly displaying fascist flags and other memorabilia, and posting pro-Franco messages on social media sites.

Rewriting History
And this trend is not limited to the party's lower-level officials and the rank-and-file. As part of this effort to make fascism more palatable, the Popular Party is institutionally trying to rewrite history, blaming the civil war that started in 1936 on the defeated republican side. At least half a million people died in the war in which Franco received vital support from Adolf Hitler of Germany and Benito Mussolini of Italy. More than a million fled in the aftermath to escape death squads.
Yet, some Popular Party officials have said and posted on social networking sites that those killed by Franco's forces deserved it. The party's second most powerful legislator in parliament has equated Franco's crimes to those of the democratically elected republican government that Franco's fascist regime defeated. The same legislator also has minimized the risk from today's rising fascist tide.
Amid the Popular Party's recent political success, with its latest high-water mark the gaining of an absolute majority in parliament, many of the party's stalwarts have reminisced about the Franco era as a prosperous time, though it wasn't. By the time Franco died in 1975, Spain had become an economic backwater in Europe. In 1986, when Spain entered the European Community (now the European Union), it was one of the poorest members, requiring substantial help to raise its living standards to what was normal in other western European states.

But the severe economic recession that spread across the world after the Wall Street crash and the EU's austerity-oriented policies imposed in response hit Spain especially hard with the country's unemployment rate soaring to around 27 percent. The loss of jobs and the failure of the democratic political structure to devise an adequate response created an opening for the rightists to revive nationalistic and other traditional cultural messages that had underpinned Franco's politics.
Though the Popular Party is generally considered conservative not extreme right it absorbed the pro-Franco fascist "base" after that movement lost its political representation in parliament in 1982, seven years after Franco died. That extreme right now amounts to about 10 percent of the Popular Party's constituency, according to some studies.
The numbers of far-right members are high enough so that the Popular Party is politically unwilling to chastise fascist sympathies and thus alienate a significant portion of its support. But the party is making a dangerous bet that the pro-Franco faction will not gain effective control of the Popular Party and thus fully hoist the banner of fascism again.
Last week, along the lines of that risky appeasement, Populist Party legislators voted down for a second time a motion backed by all opposition parties calling on the government to declare fascism, Franquism and Nazism as ideologies "inciting violence and hate."

The proposal was in line with the policies of most European countries that since the devastation of World War II and the genocide against Jews and other minorities have forbidden sympathetic displays of fascism. But Popular Party legislators said inclusion of such restrictions in an overhaul of the penal code was unnecessary.
Nationalist Tendencies
On their own, extreme-right parties in Spain have so far been insignificant, although five groups including violent neo-Nazi cells and a political party that the Supreme Court is considering banning in July formed a platform called "Spain on the March." Its leaders have warned they will resort to violent acts if required to preserve Spain's territorial unity, which they feel is threatened especially by regional independence aspirations.
Secessionist plans from Catalonia, Spain's economic motor, have served to unite nationalist forces and radical fascist groups, but the most forceful opposition to Catalonian separation is coming from the right wing of the Popular Party, led by former Prime Minister Jose María Aznar.
Last month, a dozen radicals of the new coalition forced their way into a library where Catalonians were commemorating their national day, injuring several people, including legislators, and tearing down Catalonian symbols. Police arrested them in the aftermath, but Catalonians have suggested authorities did little to protect the commemoration.

Also, in September, several rightist groups formed a new coalition to try to gain political representation ahead of European elections.
Police estimate there are about 10,000 Spaniards involved in violent extreme-right groups. But the concern is not so much over these very small violent groups. These are mostly contained, experts agree. The bigger worry is that Franco's political heirs retain significant influence within the ruling Popular Party and amid the euro crisis they could gain greater political clout.
For condoning fascist sympathies among Popular Party followers, the government has been criticized by the opposition, regional governments and human rights groups. However, although Spain stands out in Europe for these public pro-fascist expressions, the extreme right is making gains across much of Europe.
Perhaps the biggest game-changer is the renaissance of the French National Front party, once a pariah. Its leader, Marie Le Pen, won 18 percent of the votes in the first round of presidential elections in 2012 and her party is leading the polls for 2014 elections to the European Parliament.
In Greece, the leaders and legislators of the openly neo-Nazi Golden Dawn party will soon face court action for their role in promoting hate crimes, but the fact remains that the party won 7 percent of the national vote in 2012, and official efforts to shut it down could only embolden its followers.

This past week, Norway's extreme right Progress Party was invited to join the government for the first time after making electoral gains. In Austria, extreme-right parties retain strong parliamentary representation, as do their equivalents in the Netherlands, Poland, Italy and Bulgaria.
Though there is little official patronage for this right-wing resurgence across Europe unlike what the Popular Party is doing in Spain the electoral prowess of these European right-wing movements gives them increased negotiating power and even some ruling authority.
In Spain, the chief concern is that an increasingly desperate public will be attracted to the historical glow that is being created around a mythical era of successful fascism under Franco.
"It's true that this is not Greece or France, where the extreme right has become a political power," Félix Ortega, a sociology professor and expert in public opinion in the Universidad Complutense de Madrid, told me recently. "But you never know, especially if it seems that the PP tolerates it."


http://consortiumnews.com/2013/10/19/a-f...-in-spain/

[Magda Hassan]

With a little bit of help from their friends in the Vatican. Opus Dei is the creation of a Spanish fascist and big Franco fanboy cleric Josemaria Escriva. OD have been making big inroads into business and government positions in many places in the world including UK, US and Australia:

More than 500 Spanish Civil War martyrs move closer to sainthood

By STAFF REPORTER on Tuesday, 15 October 2013

Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes (AP)

A Vatican official moved more than 500 Spanish Civil War martyrs closer to sainthood during a special beatification Mass in Tarragona, the archdiocese that suffered most under "the Red Terror."
An estimated 20,000 people from throughout Spain as well as small contingents from Portugal and France attended a special outdoor Mass on Sunday celebrating the beatification of 522 members of Catholic religious orders as well as laypeople.
Cardinal Angelo Amato, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, celebrated the Mass. Archbishop Jaume Pujol Balcells of Tarragona and Cardinal Antonio Rouco Varela of Madrid concelebrated.
The ceremony was held in Tarragona because nearly 150 people, including Auxiliary Bishop Manuel Borras Farre, and 66 diocesan priests, were murdered there during the war. Many of those who attended the Mass did not have a direct connection to those being beatified.
"This is a very special occasion in the history of the Church in Spain," said Josep Maria Ibanez, 49, a resident of Sitges. "If you are Catholic, it is important to be here to show your support for the church and for those who were killed for their faith."
The altar was set up on a large stage at the educational complex of Tarragona, not far from the city's port facilities. In a televised message, Pope Francis urged those in attendance to join "from the heart" in the celebration to proclaim the beatified martyrs. The Pope said those martyrs were "Christians won over by Christ, disciples who have understood fully the path to that love to the extreme limit' that led Jesus to the Cross."
He noted that Popes always tell people, "Imitate the martyrs."
"It is always necessary to die a little in order to come out of ourselves, to leave behind our selfishness, our comfort, our laziness, our sadness, and to open ourselves to God, and to others, especially those most in need," he said.
Cardinal Amato added that "Spain is a land blessed by the blood of martyrs," given that more than 1,000 Spaniards have been beatified, a step toward canonisation.
Spain was in a state of chaos throughout most of the 1930s, beginning with the exile of King Alfonso XIII in 1931. Anti-Catholic leftists, communists and anarchists were prominent in the government and began a wave of terror by burning churches in Madrid and Andalusia. That was followed by the murders of 37 priests, brothers and seminarians in the small mining town in Asturias in 1934. When nationalist forces tried to seize control of the country the civil war continued until 1939, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands on both sides, including several thousand more members of the clergy.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/201...sainthood/

Pope recognises Spanish Civil War martyrs

By CAROL GLATZ on Wednesday, 5 June 2013


Pope Francis has recognised the martyrdom of 95 men and women who were killed during the Spanish Civil War.
The Pope's approval of a series of martyrdom decrees has opened the way for their beatification to be scheduled. Proof of a miracle is required before any of the blessed may be canonised.
Among the new martyrs who were killed in the Spanish Civil War, which lasted from 1936 and 1939, there were 66 Marist Brothers, four Discalced Carmelites, four Sister Servants of Mary, two laymen and a diocesan priest.
The Pope also approved four other decrees recognising founders of religious orders or associations for having lived the Christian virtues in a heroic way and declaring them "venerable."

The four people who the Pope recognised were Portuguese Bishop Joao de Oliveira Matos Ferreira, 20th century founder of a Catholic association; Italian Father Nicola Mazza, 19th century founder of educational institutes for poor children; Italian Sister Maria Celeste Crostarosa, 18th century founder of the monastic Order of the Most Holy Redeemer, also known as the Redemptoristine Nuns; and Spanish Sister Teresa Toda Juncosa, 19th century founder of the Teresian Carmelite Sisters of Saint Joseph.

[David Guyatt]

According to a former (now deceased) US Army Counterintelligence officer I was once in contact with, who incidentally said he personally knew a lot of the well known Nazi players that survived WWII - the nexus of the European far right is Opus Dei.

This obviously is one man's viewpoint, but his email was very detailed and extensive on this point and on balance I've been inclined to believe he knew what he was talking about.

[Magda Hassan]

Golden Dawn Supporters Invade University Of Madrid

By Abed Alloush on November 5, 2013 In News, Spain


A group of 15 people invaded the History department of Madrid University on Monday afternoon. They invaded the building, claiming that they are members of Golden Dawn. They had the Golden Dawn's logo and other Nazi symbols.
"Your blood will keep the flame alive" was written on a banner that they carried.
The names of the two members of Golden Dawn that were killed on Friday in Neo Iraklio,George Fountoulis, Manolis Kapelonis were also written on the banner.
They broke anything that was in their way and ripped posters. Many students who tried to stop the far-right group were verbally abused.
The invaders, as the Spanish media and Euronews reported, caused damages and ripped posters. Many students tried to stop the far-right group but they were verbally abused. According to Europa Press and Euronews, a student who witnessed the incident, stated that the invaders were all dressed in black and rushed into the University's Hall. Then they started kicking tables, pushing away students that were trying to stop them, ripping all the posters that were on the walls. They also said that they are members of Golden Dawn, and they were shouting in favor of Golden Dawn.
Later two picturesone from inside the university and the other outside the university-were uploaded on the blog nucleorebelde.tumblr.com. Visible on the banner, were two pictures and the writing: "Vuestra sangre a viva la llama" (your blood will keep the flame alive) was the phrase written in Spanish on the banner. Written on the right and left side of the phrase, were the names of Manolis Kapelonis and George Fountoulis.
http://eu.greekreporter.com/2013/11/05/g...fcoc9.uxfs