The National Front (French Politics could be the downfall of the world)

On April 1st, Alissa Rubin wrote a piece in the New York Times about France's Right wing "National Front" party, which last week one a number of mayoral offices across the country and sets poised to have success in the proportional legislative elections this upcoming May. This Nationalism, which has often been accused -- maybe rightly -- of being extremely xenophobic, anti-Semitic and anti-Islam, has found power in reacting to the depressed French economy, which has come under during the tenure of Socialist President Hollande. They blame the influx of Arab immigration (like we do with Illegal Hispanic immigrants in America) for stealing the jobs and Government benefits from the rightful, entitled (white) French.
Interestingly, Rubin writes in the article that "[s]ome analysts say they doubt that the National Front’s appeal will continue to grow once the economy recovers," but the outlook on the French Economy looks as if the economic recovery is not coming soon. The worrisome implication for the rest of the world (if the party comes to national legislative prominence) is that a priority of the party is to withdraw immediately from the EU. Regardless of their economic stability, they -- along with Germany -- are the roots of the union and their withdrawal would lead to the collapse of the Euro as a currency, which would affect all other global markets (America included), and would further separate (in terms of international relations) and destabilize the continent. Nationalism runs in the face of Liberal Theories on the nature of the world coming together through economic cooperation. The prospect that nationalism is being reborn across Europe -- Separatists in Spain, Golden Dawn in Greece, remaining neo-Nazism in eastern portions of Germany, France's National Front, and even growing nationalism in western Ukraine since the regime change -- threatens the liberal progression since the second world war.
Rubin also alludes to the will of the National Front to unite with other neo-fascist parties across the continent, which is eerily reminiscent of the relationship between Germany, Italy, Spain, and other portions of central Europe during the 1930's (which seems oddly counterproductive when one keeps in mind their brash nationalism).     

-Mitchell Wood

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/04/02/world/europe/moderation-pays-off-for-a-far-right-party-in-france.html

I'm hoping the link doesn't use up one of the 10 monthly NYTimes reads that you get fro free on the computer. If it does I sincerely apologize.