The election for the European Parliament has shown nationally very different results, which must be especially evaluated by the respective member associations of the FIR and the social forces in the countries concerned. But nevertheless also generalized statements can be made:

1 The different election results in the participating European countries have a common problem: the low turnout. Even in countries where voting is compulsory did not participate in the election of a large number of voters. The lowest turnout has been registreted in Slovenia with less than 20%. The overall result is that the “party of non-voters” has become the real election winner.

This shows that many people have seen no political future for themselves in elections to the European Parliament. Perhaps because they saw no way to be able to take a real impact on the political situation in Europe, perhaps because they have no overall expectations of Europe. Here it is clear that the current policy of the European Union does not meet the needs of the majority of citizens in the member countries.

2 Dramatic are the results of the extreme right and right-wing populist parties in many European countries. In the UK UKIP reached 27.5%, in Denmark the DF 26.6%, in France the National Front 25% and in Austria the FPÖ 19.5% of the votes. These are not “exceptions”, but the visible signs of the political development of extrem right parties. And there are openly fascist and violent Nazi organizations represented in the European Parliament, Jobbik from Hungary (14.7%), from Sweden “Sweden Democrats” (9.7%), from Greece the “Golden Dawn” (9.4%), from Belgium Flaams Belang (4.2%) and from Germany for the first time NPD (1%). This shows that racist ideology, nationalist responses to the crisis experiences and their militant enforcement can actually mobilize a large number of voters.
This also applies in cases where extreme right-wing groups in relation to the last European elections or the recent national elections could no longer reach the previous number of votes. Both Wilders PVV and the Flaams Belang in Belgium lost recognizable voices.

3 The consequences: First, the existing right fractions will in the future occur with greater voting power and second there will be a fraction (with all funds and political influence) which openly advocates right-wing populist and neo-fascist positions. Unlike 2007, this fraction likely to continue indefinitely, because the participants are less guided by nationalist ideology, but of political power interests.

4 Despite all the drama on the extreme right, we can highlight positive that anti-fascist, left-oriented and democratic organizations got more influence – documented by the number of votes – in different countries. This includes the result of “SYRIZA” in Greece, the results of the various parties of the “indignados” in Spain and the Socialist Party in the Netherlands. As a result, the fractions with which the FIR has worked confidently in the past (PSE and GUE-NGL) has been strengthened, which may be a hopeful sign for us.

5 For FIR, the election results have the consequence that we must strenghen our work together with those forces in the European Parliament they are accessible for anti-fascist themes. The support for our call was a good start. It is our responsibility and the task of our member federations to use the possibilities of the results.

FIR asked in various countries candidates of different parties to support the attemps of antifascist movements and our call. We ask everybody to elect on 25 May 2014 those women and men for the European Parliament who support anti-fascist beliefs.

So far, 36 candidates from six parties in four countries have signed this appeal. They are:

Unterstützerliste April 2014

FIR expresses its great concern about the current situation in Europe, where extreme right and neo-fascist forces gain massive influence in countries of the European Union and outside the EU. For example, in Hungary they give the keywords for chauvinistic and racist policy, in Poland they exclude social minorities, in the Baltic states they operate with historical revisionism and in Ukraine – supported by representatives of European govenments, USA and NATO – neo-fascist and far-right forces get great influence in the current administration, which has been formed outside the Constitution law. Such policy is directed against social and national minorities and stands for war and expansionism.

FIR deplore that representatives of the European Union recognize such forces and massively promote such groups. Our idea of Europe is linked with the tradition of anti-fascist resistance, a Europe that ensures the social and political rights of all people. Therefore, we demand a clear attitude of all European authorities against extreme – right tendencies and neo-nazi groups in all European countries.

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Am Vormittag des 16. März 2014 protestierten Antifaschisten aus verschiedenen europäischen Ländern auf dem Freiheitsplatz in Riga gegen den geplanten Ausmarsch der SS-Veteranen und ihrer jungen Verherrlicher. Nachdem es noch am Vortag zu massiven und schikanösen Behinderungen gekommen war, trauten sich die lettischen Sicherheitskräfte nicht, dies am Sonntag zu wiederholen, da viele internationale Gäste und eine große Zahl von Pressevertretern anwesend waren.

Am Nationaldenkmal auf dem Freiheitsplatz legten die Antifaschisten, unter ihnen der Präsident der Internationalen Föderation der Widerstandskämpfer (FIR) Vilmos Hanti, der Direktor des Simon Wiesenthal Zentrums Efraim Zuroff, Vertreter der Organisation „World Without Nazism“ und Mitgliedsverbände der FIR aus verschiedenen Ländern, gemeinsam mit den lettischen SS-Gegnern Gebinde zu Ehrern der Widerstandskämpfer und der Befreier Lettlands vom Faschismus nieder, bevor die SS-Veteranen ihren Aufmarsch starteten.

Unfreiwillig unterstützte die Polizei die Protestaktion, da sie die Antifaschisten an dem Platz festhielten, solange die Anhänger der SS vorbeizogen. Damit wurden die gut 1000 Alt- und Neofaschisten mit den Transparenten der Antifaschisten, die diese in Lettisch und Englisch vorbereitet hatten, und den Fahnen der VVN-BdA, der FIR und anderer beteiligter Organisationen konfrontiert. „Dieser gemeinsame Protest gegen SS-Verherrlichung und Geschichtsfälschung ist ein wichtiges Signal europäischer Erinnerungskultur“, kommentierte Vilmos Hanti, Präsident der FIR, die Protestaktion.

The International Federation of Resistance Fighters (FIR ) – Association of antifascists sent to the inhabitants of the Hero City Leningrad, now St. Petersburg, and the veterans of the Soviet Army, best wishes on the occasion of the 70th Anniversary of the liberation of the city by breaking through the blockade on 27 Januar 1944.

The 900 days of blockade by the fascist armed forces brought untold suffering , death and destruction over the city. Nevertheless, people have fought in Leningrad almost three years heroically and – in that way – they resisted not only the fascist beast , but set also a visible sign for all the world that the ” invincible ” Wehrmacht reached its limits .

In the same time, the heroic deeds of the Soviet Army , organizing in the winter supplies for people across the frozen Baltic Sea and blowing up the blockade ring in January 1944 , are unforgettable.

We commemorate the more than one million victims of the blockade and honor the heroes who have sacrified their lives for the liberation from fascism .