Europe’s right-wing parties appeal on jobs, banks and immigration

The Centre Right Pragmatic measures to fight the recession, and an appeal to nationalist sentiment with plenty of rhetoric on immigrants, were the ingredients of the success of centre-right parties. Armed with a clear message and blessed with an opposition in disarray, the mainstream Right appealed to voters with a sense of grievance at the financial system. But its campaign — leavened with anti-immigrant slogans and calls to reject Turkish membership of the EU — came with a heavy dose of traditionally left-wing attitudes to job protection. “Right-wing parties are talking about how to regulate markets and how to intervene to save jobs, as well as reform social welfare systems,” said Sara Hagemann, policy analyst with the European Policy Centre in Brussels. “The Centre Right has said this more forcefully and more visibly.” function slideshowPopUp(url) CONTINUE ...

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/elections/article6458796.ece