A Guide to Europe’s Rightists

Right-wing parties are scattered throughout Western Europe, but few score strongly at the ballot box.

AUSTRIA * Party: Freiheitliche Partei (Freedom Party)

Founded: 1955

Leader: Joerg Haider, 42

Program: Extremely nationalistic. Wants strict control of immigraiton, especially against Poles. Slogan is “Austria for the Austrians.”

Electoral Strength: 23% in 1991 Vienna municipal eleciotn. Got 16.6% in 1990 national election. 40,000 members.

BELGIUM * Party: Vlaams Blok (Flemish Bloc) Founded: 1978

Leader: Karel Dillen, 66

Program Purely Flemish-speaking in the north. Wants independence for Flanders. Slogan: “Our People First.”

Electoral Strength: 10.4% in Nov. 1991, parliamentary elections.

* Party Front National

Founded: 1984

Leader: Daniel Feret

Program: Anti-immigraiton. Extreme rightists in French-speaking region.

Electoral Strength: 6.7% in 1989 regional election.

BRITAIN * Party: National Front

Founded: 1967

Leader: Ian Anderson, 38

Program: Anti-immigration. Anti-European. Racist.

Electoral Strength: 2,500 votes projected for April. 1,000 members.

* Party: British National Party

Founded: 1982

Leader: Ian Tyndal, 54

Program Anti-immigration. Anti-European. Racist.

Electoral Strength: 12% in 1990 by-election of Tower Hamlet Council.

FRANCE * Party: Front National (National Front)

Founded: 1972

Leader: Jean-Marie Le Pen, 63

Program: Anti-immigration. Nationalist. Anti-Semitic. Slogan is “French First.”

Electoral Strength: 13.9% in this month’s regional election. 14.4% in 1988 presidential election.

GERMANY * Party: Republikaner Partei (Republican Party)

Founded: 1983

Leader: Franz Schoenhuber, 69

Program: Same as NPD except for the Americans having to leave Germany.

Electoral Strength: 4.9% in Bavaria. 20,300 members.

* Party: Deutsche Volksunion (DVU) (German People’s Union)

Founded: 1987

Leader: Gerhard Frey, 59

Program Against European monetary union. Xenophobic. Nationalist.

Electoral Strength: 6.3% in Oct. 1991, in Bremen. 7% in 1989 European election. 28,000 members.

* Party Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands (NPD)

Founded: 1964

Leader: Guenter Deckert, 51

Program: Against the Common Market. Anti-immigration. Wants Americans out of Germany.

Electoral Strength: 2.1% in 1988 stateparliamentary election in BadenWurttemberg. 7,500 members.

ITALY * Party Lega Nord (Northern League)

Founded: 1980

Leader: Umberto Rossi, 50

Program: Anti-immigration. Would like Italy to become a federal state like Switzerland.

Electoral Strength: 5.4% in 1990 regional election. 40,000 members.

* Party Movimento Socialie Italiano (MSI)

Founded: 1946

Leader: Gianfranco Fini, 39

Program: Neo-fascist. For law and order. Anti-corruption and anti-Mafia. Nationalist.

Electoral Strength: 6.8% projected for upcoming election. 60,000 members.

NETHERLANDS * Party Centrumdemocraten (CD) (Center Democrats)

Founded: 1989

Leader: Hans Janmaat

Program: Against European integration. Fears Dutch national interest is going to be submerged by Europe.

Electoral Strength: 0.9% in parliamentary election.

SWEDEN * Party Ni Demokrati (New Democratic Party)

Founded: 1991

Leader: Ian Wachmeister, 62

Program: Total market freedom. Anti-immigration.

Electoral Strength: 6.7% in Sept. 1991 parliamentary election.

* Party Sverigedemokraterna (Sweden Democrats)

Founded: 1988

Leader: Anders Klarstroem, 25

Program: Anti-immigration, especially against Muslims. Racist. Attracts young people.

Electoral Strength: 5,000 votes in 1991 parliamentary election. 4,000 to 5,000 members.

SWITZERLAND * Party Parti Suisse des Automobilisttes (Swiss Motorists’ Party)

Founded: 1985

Leader: Michael Dreher, 48

Program: Anti-immigraiton. Anti-environmentalist.

Electoral Strength: 5.1% in Oct. 1991, parliamentary election.

* Party Democrates Suisses (Swiss Democrats)

Founded: 1980

Leader: Rudolf Keller, 36

Program: Isolationist. anti-Europe.

Electoral Strength: Has 4 seats in lower parliamentary house.

* Party Lega Ticinese (Ticino League)

Founded: 1991

Leader: Flavio Maspoli, 41

Program: Wants independence for Ticini canton.

Electoral Strength:1.4% of national vote.

* Memberships are based on groups’ claims throughout this chart.

Compiled by Times Paris Bureau assistant Sarah White