Europe's Far Right Consider Coalition

Europe's far right parties are considering forming a pan-European movement. Filip Dewinter, the leader of an extremist separatist party in Belgium, told the Vienna-based News on Thursday that they were considering creating an extreme right grouping in the European Parliament. This would encompass Austria's Freedom Party, Italy's Lega Nord, France's National Front, the Dutch New Right Party and Dewinter's own Vlaams Belang - all strongly anti-immigrant. Dewinter said he is considering Jörg Haider, leader of Austria's Freedom Party, to be the head of the movement. "I've had several talks with Jörg Haider and have the feeling that he's interested in this cooperation," he said. "I'm proposing to Jörg Haider that he be the top candidate of our movement." Haider became well known in Europe when, after gaining 27 percent of the vote in the 1999 elections in Austria, his party joined the center-right government -- resulting in EU sanctions against the country. If the talks come to fruition, the coalition would stand in the European elections in 2009. (EUobserver.com)