Crisis likely to bolster far right in EU parliament

Extreme right parties, from anti-immigrant and xenophobic populists to outright neo-fascists, are almost certain to increase their presence in the European Parliament after the 2009 elections unless the European Union and mainstream parties wake up to the threat and take action, long-time monitors of far right activities are warning.

UK Labour MEP Glyn Ford, one of the parliament's own leading experts on extreme right parties and author of the European Parliament's landmark 1991 inquiry...