The European Elections and What They Mean for Turkey

June 5, 2014 The reaction of the world press at the results of the EU Parliamentary elections  have so far been dominated by hyperbolic and catastrophist headlines, heavy on (highly repetitive and after a while a bit tedious) tectonic metaphors (“EU Elections = Policical Earthquake”, etc.). Notwithstanding the media’s sensationalism for commercial purposes (drama sells) and also…

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Far-Right Rise Unites Muslims, Jews

May 27, 2014 To the surprise of many, the far-right parties’ overwhelming success in the recent European Parliament elections has united European Muslims and Jews. In response to such victories, notably the Front national’s, Imam Ahmed Miktar, president of the Association of the Imams of France, told Reuters, “We must learn to work together effectively…

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The FN vote is “no longer one of protest but of adhesion”

May 26, 2014 Marine Cécile Naves, political scientist and director of Think Tank Different, discussed the Front national’s recent victories and how the media’s fascination with Islam may have bolstered the FN’s credibility. While the percentage of voter abstention was relatively consistent with that of the previous European Parliament elections in 2009, the FN’s success…

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What European allies can Marine Le Pen count on?

May 28, 2014 Despite an elevated voter participation rate compared to the 2009 elections, (42.5% in 2014 versus 40.5% in 2009), the Front national dominated the recent May 2014 European Parliament elections. Front national leader Marine Le Pen garnered 24.9% of the total French vote, beating out the UMP (20.3%) and the Parti socialiste (13.9%)….

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France’s far-right party: No funds for religious groups

March 3, 2014   Marine Le Pen, whose party is riding a wave of anti-immigration and anti-Muslim voter sentiment around Europe, says it will cut public funds to religious groups in towns where it wins municipal elections this month. Le Pen told The Associated Press in an interview that secularism will be strictly applied in…

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