Sinister Symbol: Communist Warns Switzerland

From the desk of The Brussels Journal on Wed, 2007-12-05 15:07

A quote from the European Parliament’s Socialist Group

In response to concerns about the rise in extreme right ideology and racist, anti-semitic and homophobic incidents in Europe, Socialist MEPs [Members of the European Parliament] have set up a taskforce to monitor activities and make sure that these issues are taken seriously on the European political agenda. The taskforce […] is planning a key debate on tackling the extreme right in the parliament's December sitting in Strasbourg. […]

Taskforce chief, Bulgarian Socialist Kristian Vigenin [a member of the former Communist Party], expressed alarm at the campaign tactics of the Swiss People's Party in the country's recent general elections. One of the SVP's campaign posters depicting three white sheep booting out a black sheep brought the condemnation of the United Nations which called for the poster to be withdrawn. For Kristian Vigenin, the poster was a "sinister symbol of the rise of a new racism and xenophobia". Although not members of the EU, Switzerland is in the European Economic Area and has a range of bilateral agreements with the EU. Mr Vigenin warned that the Council of Europe and the UN Human Rights Council should be alert to developments in Switzerland.

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Pots and kettles

Submitted by Aisling on Fri, 2007-12-07 23:41.

I remember, I remember ... back in the Eighties, when K. Vigenin's former party was still in power, one of the many human rights violations it was being criticised for was its treatment of the Turkish minority in the South of Bulgaria, whose members were discriminated against and, inter alia, forced to adopt a Bulgarian version of their names.

And KV now has the brass neck to rap Switzerland for racism and xenophobia ... I hope the Swiss will remind him of his ex party's less-than-glorious record in this connection.

@Schaveiger

Submitted by Monarchist on Wed, 2007-12-05 22:00.

The Swiss rejected the EU and the latter respect their decision as much as they respect decisions of Dutch and French voters which rejected consitution. Totalitarian tendencies of bureaucrats are well known from history. 

Symbolic

Submitted by Schaveiger on Wed, 2007-12-05 20:06.

When extreme left starts claiming on extreme right, then we should better watch our pockets.

The Swiss are neutral and don't want to join the EU, so why should the latter bother who's ruling there ? 

Switzerland has nothing to learn from th E.U.

Submitted by THE DOCTOR on Wed, 2007-12-05 18:07.

The unmitigated cheek of this communist lecturing the Swiss on it's internal politics , Communism is is shining example of the practice of freedom , liberty and respect for divergent opinions . Then again one could say that where I have written "Communism" I could have put the E.U.  .