Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty

When I first heard about the European Union, several years ago, the first idea that came to my mind was: "Oh my, these guys have to be completely insane to try to unite so many countries as a single one".

After a couple of expansions that such organization approved to incorporate members to more than double its original size, nothing really worrying happened to my eyes. Everything was working so sweetly, that at some point I thought that my first idea about the EU was exaggerate, and that such type of unity of several countries was possible. But my expectations went down again by the time when the rejection of the European Constitution happened in 2005.

And now, I see that the unity is gradually turning just into fiction. The entrance of Bulgaria and Romania supposed the inclusion into the European Parliament of several individuals that, mathematically and according to the EU statutes, will make possible one of the imminent nightmares that were to come to whip the bloc: The appearance of its first far-right, ultranationalist political group with active participation in the EU's political activity. A group known as Identity, Tradition and Sovereignty.

The official recognition of this group is expected to happen next January 15. What is very interesting is to meet some of the members that integrate the roster of this party:

• Jean Marie Le Pen (France): The (fortunately) permanent loser of French Presidential elections, an individual who has spent most of his political career minimizing the importance of the holocaust against Jewish civilians during World War II, arguing that extermination camps and gas chambers were only 'a detail' of war. Not only he's an antisemite, but he has showed xenofobia against racial and religious minorities in France for many years.
  
• Bruno Gollnisch (France): Le Pen's party fellow Gollnisch is expected to be the frontman of this political wing in the European Parliament. This individual is currently being tried for charges related to the denial of the holocaust during WWII.
• Alessandra Mussolini (Italy): What can you expect from fascist leader Benito Mussolini's granddaughter? Her long antagonism with Gianfranco Fini was not only a result of a struggle for power at the Alleanza Nazionale party in Italy, but also because of Fini's apologies to the Jewish community and the Italian nationals about the holocaust in WWII and the fascist regime during Benito Mussolini's rule. As a result of such antagonism and open support of fascism, she left Alleanza Nazionale and created an own party (with fraudulent signatures) named Libertà di Azione, now known as Alternativa Sociale, where she continues her constant attacks towards certain groups, most commonly to homosexuals.
• Dimitar Stoyanov (Bulgaria): Perhaps the youngest member of the European Parliament, this individual criticized the postulation of Livia Jaroka (Hungary) as the Parliamentary of the year 2006 when he was still just an observer in the EU. His disapproval of such postulation was arisen from the fact that Jaroka has Roma (commonly known as Gypsy) roots. He sent an email through the EU to laugh about Jaroka's origins, and to make insulting comments about Roma people as well.
  
• Koenraad Dillen (Belgium): A member of the extreme-right party Vlaams Belang, he has fiercely defended his friendship with Léon Degrelle, a collaborator of the Nazi regime during the WWII. In fact, the Belgian media released some information that revealed a picture in Dillen's living room. In the picture, Léon Degrelle appears wearing a Waffen-SS uniform (a nazi armed wing, responsible for crimes against humanity) while being congratulated personally by Adolf Hitler. The image is autographed by Degrelle, where he refers to Dillen as his "dear friend".
  
• Luca Romagnoli (Italy): He's a member of the Italian fascist party called Fiamma Tricolore. A holocaust denier, who publicly showed his indecision on whether gas chambers on extermination camps existed or not.
  

An elite lineup for a xenophobe group, which will be focused to promote anti-immigration, to avoid the approval of a European Constitution, and to block Turkey as a member of the EU.

Congratulations to the EU, for this 'phenomenal' achievement. Shame on you.