Writing on Politics.co.uk, former MEP Edward McMillan-Scott highlights a potential cause of tension at today’s meeting in London between the Prime Minister and the German Chancellor:
When Angela Merkel meets David Cameron in London today, one topic could cause embarrassment to both leaders: Cameron’s association with the German anti-Islamist movement, Pegida (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamisation of the West), which was condemned at the New Year by the German chancellor.
After the European election in May, Cameron’s controversial group in the European parliament voted to include Germany’s Eurosceptic Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) MEPs, a move which infuriated Merkel, especially now that AfD has become the political mouthpiece of Pegida.
This Monday night saw the most widespread demonstrations, both for and against Pegida, with some public buildings dimmed to register dislike of it. But on Wednesday, as Merkel meets Cameron, one of AfD’s co-chairs, Frauke Petry, will hold talks with a view to a merger with Pegida, just as some Conservatives are urging Cameron to do a deal with Nigel Farage.
You can read the full article here.
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7 Comments
“one topic could cause embarrassment to both leaders: Cameron’s association with the German anti-Islamist movement”
I wonder if McMillan Scott actually know what Islamism (as opposed to Islam) is.
Why did we say nothing about the Tories’ embarrassing European Parliamentary allies during the European election campaign?
because there was nothing embarrassing about AfD…?
A local AfD person tried to persuade me to vote for them in last year’s local elections. True story.
Are the Conservatives becoming as iffy as those of UKIP?
After yesterday, I expect this would be a vote winner for Cameron.
Only because many people don’t immediately realise that neo-nazis are the ideological analogues of extremists. The European far right and Islamists stand for essentially the same sort of thing: rejection of civil society, rejection of democracy, sectarian hatred, the use of violence as a “legitimate” means to achieve their objectives. To oppose Islamists, you have to oppose neo-nazis as well. If you support the far-right, you are also a supporter of Islamism