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<title> Dangerous or not - Haider must not be ignored by the EU </title>
No actions should be taken by the EU against Austria for electing populist Jörg Haider and his Freedom Party to a position of power - at least not until it can be established that Haider really is a dangerous man and a threat to democracy. This is the bottom line of an article by political journalist Gunvor Hildén, published in Upsala Nya Tidning in February. In my opinion, thinking like Hildén - "let us wait and see" - is the worst possible thing to do when facing a situation like the recent one in Austria. In this essay I will explain why I think Hildén is wrong and why it is not just the duty of the EU, but the duty of every EU citizen, to protest when right-wing extremists somehow find themselves at reach of actual power. This regardless if the extremists are considered dangerous or not.
Jörg Haider of the Austrian Freedom Party has on several occasions, even in public speeches, expressed an aversion to immigrants. It is hardly news to anyone that he is popular in extremist circles. The fact that he recently has apologised for some of his earlier, more extreme attacks, can be a sign, claims Gunvor Hildén, that Haider is actually not a racist but "merely" a populist saying what people want to hear. But irrespective of which motives Haider may have for expressing these opinions, the point must not be forgotten: by letting these opinions out in the open Haider gives support to all right-wing extremists, which, of course, can not be tolerated by the EU. It is absolutely essential that the EU shows the rest of Europe, and the rest of the world, that right-wing extremism will not be tolerated.
Being passive, like Hildén suggests in her article, and waiting until Haider reveals his "true self", will most likely send a strange message to other extremist parties: a message saying that it is possible to be a successful politician and a racist at the same time - as long as you do not give the impression of being dangerous. It is a well-known fact that in Europé alone there is at least a handful of parties similar to the Freedom Party in Austria. If Haider can make it all the way to the top and stay there, without the rest of the world protesting, why wouldn't these parties be able to do the same thing? All European countries must therefore, in every possible way, make things difficult for the right-wing extremists. They must do this not only for the purpose of showing other extremist parties that they will not be accepted, but also for the purpose of reminding everybody else of the existence of these parties and how they have affected the history of Europe.
Nobody living today is unaware of the incomprehensible tragedy that took place in Europe during the 1930s and 40s, in the name of extreme nationalism. However, reminding people of the characteristics of right-wing extremism is more important today than ever before. In my opinion, this is one of the most important roles of the European Union. That is why I find it so surprising that Gunvor Hildén thinks that the EU should lie low, bide its time, wait and see, in the case with Jörg Haider. If the EU does not react to foul play like his racist utterances, the EU neglects its role of reminding people. To support her opinion, Hildén claims that since the election of Jörg Haider was a democratic process, no outside party has got the right to interfere with it. But with democracy comes also the right to object, to protest and to interfere. So, even if electing Haider was democratically and politically inviolable, every individual has the right, or even the duty, to object to that election, no matter which policy the EU chooses to follow in the future.
Gunvor Hildén asks herself and the readers a question: How dangerous is Jörg Haider? This is also the headline of her article. I am puzzled by the fact that she asks this question, and, instead of answering it, as a conclusion I would like to ask a counter-question: Who can be more dangerous than a man with power, with access to the public's ear and a habit of giving his support to thousands of fascists and neo-nazis, even though only through "innocent" empty populist phrases? The EU must not hesitate in this case - do not let Haider show how dangerous he might or might not be.
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