"The European Parliament must not become a showplace for extremist forces," the General Secretary of the Community of Protestant Churches in Europe (CPCE) has warned.
Bishop Michael Buenker issued the warning in the wake of last week’s European Parliament election, which saw radical right-wing parties make gains across Europe. In the UK, the BNP won its first two seats to the European Parliament after party leader Nick Griffin was elected in the North West region and Andrew Brons won in Yorkshire and Humber.
Bishop Buenker said that although some of the radical right wing parties had attempted to posit themselves as defenders of the Christian faith during their election campaigns, the content of their policies was “diametrically opposed to the Christian message”.
“The Christian faith requires love of neighbour and respect for others, solidarity and responsibility for a peaceful life together,” he said. “That does not go with xenophobic and racist slogans.”
The CPCE said the results of the European elections had revealed a “strengthening” of Eurosceptic and radical right-wing parties “which want to block a European policy”.
The group said, however, that in spite of its defects the EU remained an “important project of European unification”. It is calling for democracy in Europe to be strengthened.
Bishop Buenker said: “Particularly in times of crisis in which close collaboration beyond frontiers is indispensable, we cannot afford to allow the common effort for a peaceful and unified Europe to be threatened.”
He added: “The radical right will harm people in Europe.”
His warning comes as churches across the UK gear up for a day of prayer for people seeking sanctuary in the UK and workers at the UK Border Agency. The day of prayer on Sunday marks the start of Refugee Week and is part of a new movement called CITIZENS for Sanctuary, which aims to restore public support in the UK for the provision of sanctuary to people fleeing persecution.
Jonathan Cox, lead organiser of CITIZENS for Sanctuary said: “We are encouraging churches to remember refugees in their prayers. Our hope is that thousands of people across the country will hear the prayer and think about what they can do when they leave church to help to save sanctuary.”
