MARSEILLE, FRANCE // European voters go to the polls over the next four days with far-right, nationalist and anti-EU groups set to double their parliamentary representation and threaten the dominance of the pro-union political mainstream.
Europe’s ability to influence major world events beyond its own frontiers, on issues ranging from Iran’s nuclear programme to the aftermath of the Arab Spring and human rights across the world, could be severely diminished if anti-EU elements gained a strong presence in the twin Brussels and Strasbourg assemblies.
Recent polls suggest a slim majority for centre-right candidates, socialists snapping at their heels. But a major concern is that the far right, including the anti-immigration, anti-Islam nationalist parties of Marine Le Pen in France and Geert Wilders in the Netherlands, could win a quarter of the seats, form an alliance, obtain access to central funding and become steadily more powerful.
Amid forecasts of record abstention by blase voters, all French opinion polls put Ms Le Pen’s Front National (FN) party in first place. In Britain, the UK Independence Party (Ukip), whose popularity is seen as part of Europe’s drift to the extreme right despite its efforts to distance itself from the FN, is also experiencing a late surge of support as it aims to capture the biggest share of UK votes cast.
Ms Le Pen’s strategy of dédiabolisation – the “de-demonisation” of her party – has brought her remarkable success in elections at all levels.
Perhaps even more worrying for those seeking harmonious community relations, she may not even need such nuances. Fed up with Europe and the failures of left and right governments, newly attracted FN voters talk unashamedly of giving the “extreme right” a chance.
Ms Le Pen’s father, Jean-Marie, is still the party’s honorary president and an EU election candidate. Yet if dédiabolisation is necessary, this would be a consequence of his reputation for racist, anti-Semitic rhetoric.
Mr Le Pen struck a familiar tone this week, talking at an election rally in France’s second city, Marseille, which has a large Maghrebin comunity, of a “cataclysmic phenomenon” confronting the whole of Europe.
He said mass immigration threatened to replace indigenous populations with foreigners “if we do not gain power soon enough to put an end to decades of political decadence”.
“This phenomenon is aggravated in France by a religious aspect: most of these immigrants are Muslims, a religion with a conquering vocation, all the more so because it feels strong and numerous.”
His daughter, present at the rally where she warmly embraced her father, portrays herself as France’s saviour. Other assessments are more mixed. The left-of-centre news magazine Le Nouvel Observateur calls her a halfway house between Joan of Arc and the Russian president Vladimir Putin.
A senior, unnamed FN official told the magazine Ms Le Pen believes Mr Putin has handled the Ukrainian crisis “magnificently”. He added that she especially admires his “muscular style of government, his defence of ‘Russia eternal’ and his challenge to US world leadership and ultra-liberal global capitalism”.
A measure of how seriously the rise of Ukip is viewed in Britain, which goes to the polls Thursday, three days ahead of most of the other EU 28 member countries, is evident in the shrill terms in which mainstream politicians discuss it.
George Osborne, the British finance minister, warned yesterday that Ukip wanted to “pull up the drawbridge and shut Britain off from the world”.
Anxious to avoid alienating his own Conservative party supporters, many also highly Eurosceptical, he took care to include the left in his criticism.
But disenchantment with the EU stretches across the continent. People are fed up with dwindling spending power, stubborn or rising unemployment, security fears and governments’ inability to curb immigration.
In the Netherlands, which also has a large Maghrebin population, the Dutch Freedom Party of Geert Wilders is likely, on recent surveys, to take 18 per cent of votes, more than the candidates of the ruling coalition partners and similar to projected support for centrists.
Mr Wilders, who once compared the Quran to Hitler’s Mein Kampf and said it was not Muslims but Islam that he hated, set the tone for nationalist responses to common preoccupations during a speech in The Hague in March.
He asked whether people listening to him wanted more or fewer Moroccans. When the crowd responded with chants of “fewer, fewer”, he replied: “Good. We’ll arrange that.”
This week, Mr Wilders symbolically vandalised the EU flag in front of the parliamentary building in Brussels, cutting out one of the 12 gold stars and replacing it with the Dutch flag.
As part of his assault on a unified Europe, Mr Wilders hopes to create an anti-EU parliamentary faction bringing together like-minded parties from different countries. Its aim, according to the online newspaper EUobserver.com, would be to “pull apart the EU from within”.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
The biog
Hobbies: Writing and running
Favourite sport: beach volleyball
Favourite holiday destinations: Turkey and Puerto Rico
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
Business Insights
- As per the document, there are six filing options, including choosing to report on a realisation basis and transitional rules for pre-tax period gains or losses.
- SMEs with revenue below Dh3 million per annum can opt for transitional relief until 2026, treating them as having no taxable income.
- Larger entities have specific provisions for asset and liability movements, business restructuring, and handling foreign permanent establishments.
The specs
Engine: Dual 180kW and 300kW front and rear motors
Power: 480kW
Torque: 850Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh359,900 ($98,000)
On sale: Now
UPI facts
More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions
Walls
Louis Tomlinson
3 out of 5 stars
(Syco Music/Arista Records)
MATCH INFO
Al Jazira 3 (O Abdulrahman 43', Kenno 82', Mabkhout 90 4')
Al Ain 1 (Laba 39')
Red cards: Bandar Al Ahbabi (Al Ain)
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SPEC SHEET
Display: 6.8" edge quad-HD dynamic Amoled 2X, Infinity-O, 3088 x 1440, 500ppi, HDR10 , 120Hz
Processor: 4nm Snapdragon 8 Gen 1/Exynos 2200, 8-core
Memory: 8/12GB RAM
Storage: 128/256/512GB/1TB
Platform: Android 12
Main camera: quad 12MP ultra-wide f/2.2, 108MP wide f/1.8, 10MP telephoto f/4.9, 10MP telephoto 2.4; Space Zoom up to 100x, auto HDR, expert RAW
Video: 8K@24fps, 4K@60fps, full-HD@60fps, HD@30fps, super slo-mo@960fps
Front camera: 40MP f/2.2
Battery: 5000mAh, fast wireless charging 2.0 Wireless PowerShare
Connectivity: 5G, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth 5.2, NFC
I/O: USB-C
SIM: single nano, or nano and SIM, nano and nano, eSIM/nano and nano
Colours: burgundy, green, phantom black, phantom white, graphite, sky blue, red
Price: Dh4,699 for 128GB, Dh5,099 for 256GB, Dh5,499 for 512GB; 1TB unavailable in the UAE
Company%20profile
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Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Strait of Hormuz
Fujairah is a crucial hub for fuel storage and is just outside the Strait of Hormuz, a vital shipping route linking Middle East oil producers to markets in Asia, Europe, North America and beyond.
The strait is 33 km wide at its narrowest point, but the shipping lane is just three km wide in either direction. Almost a fifth of oil consumed across the world passes through the strait.
Iran has repeatedly threatened to close the strait, a move that would risk inviting geopolitical and economic turmoil.
Last month, Iran issued a new warning that it would block the strait, if it was prevented from using the waterway following a US decision to end exemptions from sanctions for major Iranian oil importers.
How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
Starring: Nayanthara, Vignesh Shivan, Radhika Sarathkumar, Nagarjuna Akkineni
Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
Company%20profile
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Disclaimer
Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
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Ballon d’Or shortlists
Men
Sadio Mane (Senegal/Liverpool), Sergio Aguero (Aregentina/Manchester City), Frenkie de Jong (Netherlans/Barcelona), Hugo Lloris (France/Tottenham), Dusan Tadic (Serbia/Ajax), Kylian Mbappe (France/PSG), Trent Alexander-Arnold (England/Liverpool), Donny van de Beek (Netherlands/Ajax), Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal), Marc-Andre ter Stegen (Germany/Barcelona), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/Juventus), Alisson (Brazil/Liverpool), Matthijs de Ligt (Netherlands/Juventus), Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid), Georginio Wijnaldum (Netherlands/Liverpool), Virgil van Dijk (Netherlands/Liverpool), Bernardo Silva (Portugal/Manchester City), Son Heung-min (South Korea/Tottenham), Robert Lewandowski (Poland/Bayern Munich), Roberto Firmino (Brazil/Liverpool), Lionel Messi (Argentina/Barcelona), Riyad Mahrez (Algeria/Manchester City), Kevin De Bruyne (Belgium/Manchester City), Kalidou Koulibaly (Senegal/Napoli), Antoine Griezmann (France/Barcelona), Mohamed Salah (Egypt/Liverpool), Eden Hazard (BEL/Real Madrid), Marquinhos (Brazil/Paris-SG), Raheem Sterling (Eengland/Manchester City), Joao Félix(Portugal/Atletico Madrid)
Women
Sam Kerr (Austria/Chelsea), Ellen White (England/Manchester City), Nilla Fischer (Sweden/Linkopings), Amandine Henry (France/Lyon), Lucy Bronze(England/Lyon), Alex Morgan (USA/Orlando Pride), Vivianne Miedema (Netherlands/Arsenal), Dzsenifer Marozsan (Germany/Lyon), Pernille Harder (Denmark/Wolfsburg), Sarah Bouhaddi (France/Lyon), Megan Rapinoe (USA/Reign FC), Lieke Martens (Netherlands/Barcelona), Sari van Veenendal (Netherlands/Atletico Madrid), Wendie Renard (France/Lyon), Rose Lavelle(USA/Washington Spirit), Marta (Brazil/Orlando Pride), Ada Hegerberg (Norway/Lyon), Kosovare Asllani (Sweden/CD Tacon), Sofia Jakobsson (Sweden/CD Tacon), Tobin Heath (USA/Portland Thorns)
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
How to watch Ireland v Pakistan in UAE
When: The one-off Test starts on Friday, May 11
What time: Each day’s play is scheduled to start at 2pm UAE time.
TV: The match will be broadcast on OSN Sports Cricket HD. Subscribers to the channel can also stream the action live on OSN Play.
Profile of Bitex UAE
Date of launch: November 2018
Founder: Monark Modi
Based: Business Bay, Dubai
Sector: Financial services
Size: Eight employees
Investors: Self-funded to date with $1m of personal savings
Get Out
Director: Jordan Peele
Stars: Daniel Kaluuya, Allison Williams, Catherine Keener, Bradley Whitford
Four stars
Spec%20sheet
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