'political extremism' - tagged features

In Switzerland the Swiss people’s party has come out the clear leader – winning almost 29% of the vote. It’s the party’s best showing ever. The party ran a campaign criticised by some as racist. It says it wants to deport foreigners who commit crimes and keep Switzerland out of the European union. 

urning now to Germany- A fresh series of racially-motivated attacks on foreigners over the past two weeks has refuelled a debate over banning the far-right National Democratic Party. The European Union’s justice Commissioner, Franco Frattini, was quoted as saying he’d back a ban. A previous attempt to ban it was struck down by the Supreme Court in 2003, after it came out that some testimony came from informants in the party. From Berlin, Deutsche Welle’s Hardy Graupner has more. 

Germany's far-right National Democratic Party held a convention last weekend that sparked debate about whether or not to try to ban them. An effort was made to do just that 3 years ago but the whole plan was scuppered when it came to light that some of the intelligence agents who'd infiltrated the party undercover had got a little too into character and were shown to be involved in provoking some of the behaviour being complained about. Some politicians in Germany want to muzzle the party, but are asking if a ban is either useful or realistic? 

Far right political parties are making their presence felt in many parts of Europe - even in the "liberal" heartland of Scandinavia. Recent elections in Sweden have given the country's far right party, the Sweden Democrats, some unwelcome power, especially if you're an asylum seeker. Radio Sweden's Mark Cummins told Network Europe it’s tricky to nail down exactly what the Sweden Democrats stand for.