What the far-right really mean when they talk of 'taking back Christian Europe' - 2019-05-24
What the far-right really mean when they talk of 'taking back Christian Europe' May 24, 2019,
"The Bible, borders and Brexit" will "make Europe great again", declared Ed Martin to roaring applause. The Republican pundit who co-wrote "The Conservative Case for Trump" was speaking at a global gathering of religious conservatives in Verona this March. Italy's deputy prime minister Matteo Salvini was a headline speaker.
Verona, Italy's ancient "city of love", is emblematic of how Europe is changing. The city is now a stronghold for Salvini's Lega party which, together with right-wing populists across the continent, is challenging the laws and social norms that have defined European life for decades.
The rise of Europe's far right has been well documented. Nativist parties are expected to win a record number of seats in this week's elections to the European parliament in Brussels. There's been feverish speculation about how attempted Russian interference will skew the results. Pollsters predict the far-right could redraw the political map of Europe. But what does this actually mean?