European Crisis Fertile Ground for Nationalist Parties

In the minds of many nationalist parties in Europe, the ongoing economic crisis has corroborated much of that which they advocate: that immigration policies should be reformed, that the European integration process should be reverted, and that their national identities should be protected. That those beliefs are difficult to impose in the present stage of European integration notwithstanding, Europe has long been wary of nationalist parties, and many countries have implemented electoral systems that deliberately marginalize those groups. Nevertheless, such groups will be important to watch as the European crisis plays out.