FRANCE: Regionalism in Europe

Christopher Jones says "David Pike's comments about Occitant and the rise of the "Europa de los Pueblos" as it is called in Spain's rebellious regions, didn't make mention of one very important fact: over the years, Europe's "regional" politics have been the breeding ground for a new sort of fascist/extreme right politics. With Jörg Haider in Carinthia, Umberto Bossi in "Padania" or the Flamske-blok in Belgium, the far right has taken refuge in the regions and with astonishing success. Even the so called "liberal" Jordi Pujol in Barcelona has displayed such intolerance in Catalonia that one could interpret "som una nació" as an affirmation of extreme nationalism. The vociferous front man for ethnic German/Tyrolean movement in northern Italy is the environmentalist, mountain climber Reinhold Messner, even wants to break away from a future Padania".

RH: This is extremely important. The idea that the leaders of these regions are democrats is a fantasy. Christopher could have mentioned the Basque ETA, who are dangerous totalitarians. Such people want to have a region, with its own language if possible, to use as a springboard to greater power.

Ronald Hilton - 11/21/02