Mainstream liberal rag CNN mourns the awakening of white Europeans
They are cursed in cities and towns across Europe. On talk shows, in newspapers and in bars and cafes, they are dismissed as parasites, threatening social norms and culture. And when unemployment rises and governments impose cuts on public spending, the eyes turn again to the immigrants.
In France, once seen as a bastion of European egalitarianism, the issue of immigration and racial identity has shot to the top of the political agenda. Roma people, also known as gypsies, have been expelled under government orders, while the wearing of burqas and other Islamic face coverings in public is set to be banned.
President Nicolas Sarkozy has been accused of engaging in Nazi-style ethnic cleansing over the expulsions while the European Commission has threatened to take legal action over the treatment of the Roma.
France isn’t alone though. Across the continent, politicians and media commentators are adopting a harsh line.
Last month, German Chancellor Angela Merkel declared that multiculturism had “absolutely failed” and a book by a former central banker that says Muslim immigrants are “dumbing down” the country has become a best-seller.