IN A NUTSHELL: MUST READAustrians Say Nein To 1930’s ThrowbackIn an election that was wayyy too close for comfort, Green Party candidate Alexander Van der Bellen barely defeated far-right candidate Norbert Hofer in Austria’s Presidential election. Bellen relied on postal votes mailed in by Austrians living abroad to defeat his rival. The Green Party victory temporarily puts to rest fear of a far-right revival in Austria, which has been buoyed by fears of a surge in migration. Is something rotten in the state of Austria?It’s not just Austria. Far-right parties are on the rise across Europe, entering governing coalitions in Greece, Norway, Finland, Poland and Hungary. While part of the rise has to do with the EU’s response to the refugee crisis, the far-right’s growing popularity predates that. The Euro crisis, austerity and trade related dislocations have hollowed out some rural and industrial communities that were long affiliated with mainstream parties, pushing them to the extremes. Good Book: Ill Fares the Land by Tony Judt |