Backlash against the EU spreads as political parties across the continent call for
Backlash against the EU spreads as political parties across the continent call for The British vote to leave the European Union could trigger a tidal wave of referendums, with up to 34 plebiscites on matters ranging from membership itself to keeping the euro and stopping the influx of refugees. A study by the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR), suggests far-right parties were looking to surf the wave of europhobia created by the Brexit vote. The ECFR report said the fear of Turkey joining the EU and the rise of Islamophobia were among the reasons why support for anti-immigrant and anti-EU parties was on the rise across the continent. The ECFR's Mark Leonard, quoted in the Daily Express said: 'Many of these insurgent parties have views on foreign policy that are closer to President Putin than President Obama. In December, a month after the Paris attacks, France's Front National recorded 27 percent of the vote in regional elections and today the FN's leader, Marine Le Pen called Brexit 'an extraordinary victory for democracy - a slap for a European system based more and more on fear, blackmail and lies.' She has already called for 'Frexit': 'As I have been asking for years, we must now have the same referendum in France and (other) EU countries.' Far-Right Dutch firebrand Geert Wilders has called for a 'Nexit' vote in the Netherlands. He has promised to make a referendum vote a priority in next spring's elections. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban today blamed the EU's migration policies for the British vote to leave. He said: 'If the EU cannot solve the migration situation, then the challenges we experienced now in the case of the United Kingdom will grow.' Mr Orban has already announced plans for a referendum later this year on refugees. The question will be: 'Do you want the EU, even without the approval of Hungarian parliament, to be able to prescribe the mandatory resettlement of non-Hungarian citizens in Hungary?' Hungary is one of several EU countries which refused to accept the imposition of refugee quotas. Austria, Germany, Sweden and Denmark have all tightened border controls in response to the arrival of more than a million migrants since last year. Italy's anti-establishment 5-Star movement, which has been riding high in the polls, has pressed for a referendum on whether to keep the euro. 5-Star has suggested Europe adopt two different currencies, one for richer countries like Germany and another for less developed nations. The party's Luigi di Maio said: 'We want a consultative referendum on the euro. The euro as it is today does not work. We either have alternative currencies or a "euro 2".' Mr Leonard said: 'We can't dismiss them as fringe parties – they represent a revolution in European foreign policy. Their chosen weapon is using referenda to whip up popular support on their pet issues. 'Even where they don't win power directly, they are so politically powerful that they are forcing mainstream parties to adopt their positions Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3664626/Backlash-against-EU-spreads-political-parties-continent-call-34-separate-referendums.htm #ixzz4CvDpNrYq Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
