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Vote share: 20.5 percent (+7.79 percent on 2009)
MEPs: 4 (+2 on 2009)There are two common misconceptions about the FPÖ, or Freedom Party of Austria, that almost everybody seems to share: Namely that they’re either Nazis or completely harmless. Both are bullshit and have been contributing to the huge success of the movement since the early 1990s. Sure, they’re nationalists and their top ranks consist of uneducated halfwits who look as if they’re always stepping right out of a sauna after three days of boozing on the campaign trail. But they also thrive on left-wing critics who are equally simple-minded and use the Nazi allegation against anyone they don't like – making themselves look stupid, and robbing the word of the shock factor it once had. This doesn't really do much to stop an assortment of nationalists, alienated Austrians, and yes – real life Nazis – alike from getting behind the FPÖ’s agenda of “Us first”. Afterall, FPÖ came in third place with around a fifth of the vote.

Vote: 7 percent (n/a: Didn't exist in 2009)
MEPs: 7 (n/a)Although it is the first time that Germany’s thuggish Neo-Nazi party, the NPD, has managed to gain a seat in the European Parliament, it's something of a beaurocratic victory. They owe their seat more to the abolishment of the three percent threshold for parties to win any seats European elections in Germany than to a surge in popularity (they only managed to get one percent of the vote). They being there is a bad look, but probably no cause for real concern.
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MEPs: 4 (-1)What might be unsettling for some European countries – dealing with the rise of scary political parties – is business as usual for the Dutch. For over a decade the Party for Freedom (PVV) has dominanted Dutch politics with suggestions that make normal humans want to stab their brains out: a ban on the Koran, a tax on the Muslim headscarf, a website targetting East-Europeans and deporting millions of Muslims from Europe just to name a few.Although the elections handed the PVV a bit of a blow, they still managed to get four seats – losing one seat – and maintained their position as one of the largest parties in the country. That's saying a lot after even one of his own MPs left in disgust after party leader Geert Wilders promised to arrange the presence of "fewer Moroccans" in the Netherlands to a screaming crowd.
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Vote: 27.49 percent (+10.99)
MEPs: 24 (+11)Britain can pat itself on the back for getting rid of the openly racist British National Party, which won two seats last time round and zero this time. Its leader Nick Griffin, will no longer be stinking out Brussels with his beef stew, or racism. Unfortunately, we have let in more than ten times as many MEPs from the UK Independence Party – nearly doubling their representation compared to last time.UKIP is led by Nigel Farage, seemingly the only politician in the country who people actually find likeable. The scary part is that they manage to talk smack about immigrants in a way that is seen as socially acceptable. This has united disaffected conservative bigots in the south and disaffected working class people who fear for their jobs in the north. But in a recent radio interview, Farage’s mask slipped. Asked what the difference between having some German children or Romanian men as neighbours, he replied, “You know what the difference is.” Numerous UKIP members have been exposed by the press for less subtle bigotry – like the one with Nazi tattoos in a “white powder” photo-shoot, and the one suggested shooting “poofters” . None of which put people off voting for UKIP who stormed to victory and set off another round of anti-immigrant, anti-EU chatter from the spooked main parties.
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Vote: 26.7 percent (+11.4 percent)MEPs: 4 (+2)Dansk Folkparti (The Danish People’s Party) just got more votes than any other party in Denmark, clocking in at 27 percent and earning them four representatives for the European Parliament. On the subject of whether or not she wanted muslims out of the country, founder Pia Kjærsgaard said, “We have a religion in this thousand year old realm – Denmark – and we need to keep it that way. That’s why is crucial, that Islam doesn’t gain territory in Denmark.” Remember where else you’ve heard talk of a thousand year old realm? Yup, Nazi Germany.
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Vote: 9.4 percent (+8.6 percent)
MEPs: 3 (+3)We all had high hopes in Greece that after the imprisoment of the Golden Dawn's (GD) leader, Nikos Mihaloliakos, the neo-Nazis’ party would dissolve. Things didn't turn out that way at all. GD emerged as the third most popular political party in Greece at the last European Elections, which is really scary given the fact that police has found evidence that these people are more like a criminal gang rather than a bunch of politicians.However it's even scarier that all the alleged hate crimes of the GD's paramilitary squads against immigrants, gays and ethnic minorities weren't enough to sway the voters against them. Somehow people in Greece find it cool to vote for fascists who don't care much for democracy, assault women and ridiculously pretend to be Spartans while playing around, naked, in Crete.At the end of the day, Ι feel it isn't the fascists of the Golden Dawn who are scary, but the fact that anyone normal supports them.
