Chapter 62: Burning

248     “Germany is burning down” Alice Weidel on the General Debate on the 2024 Federal Budget of the 31st of January 2024, trans. Empire Caption Solutions.

248     “And this government of overburdened misfits and stubborn ideologues is the arsonist”  Alice Weidel on the General Debate on the 2024 Federal Budget.

248     burned . . . on February 27, 1933  “The Reichstag Fire,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, accessed February 10, 2025, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-reichstag-fire.

248     did not . . . until . . . 1999  Anne Thompson, “Renovated Reichstag Reopens,” CBS News, April 19, 1999, www.cbsnews.com/news/renovated-reichstag-reopens/; and Jenny Gesley, “National Parliaments: Germany,” Law Library of Congress, January 2016, https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/service/ll/llglrd/2016296553/2016296553.pdf.

248     falsely blamed . . . for the Reichstag fire “The Reichstag Fire,” encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-reichstag-fire.

248     claimed . . . to halt Germany’s “national renewal”  Quoted in “The Reichstag Fire,” encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-reichstag-fire.

248     demanded emergency powers to stop the communists “The Reichstag Fire,” encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-reichstag-fire.

248     issued the Reichstag Fire Decree “The Reichstag Fire,” encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-reichstag-fire.

248     suspended civil liberties such as . . . gave the Nazi regime . . . to dissolve  “Reichstag Fire Decree,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, accessed February 10, 2025, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/reichstag-fire-decree.

248     provided Nazi police . . . to kidnap . . . and haul . . . to concentration camps “Within two months of the Reichstag Fire Decree, the Gestapo had arrested and imprisoned more than 25,000 people in Prussia alone.” “Arrests without Warrant or Judicial Review,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, accessed February 10, 2025, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/arrests-without-warrant-or-judicial-review; and “The Reichstag Fire,” encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-reichstag-fire.

248     “For the Protection of the People and the State”—opened the legal door . . . “The Reichstag Fire,” encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-reichstag-fire; and “Reichstag Fire Decree,” encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/reichstag-fire-decree.

248–249 the most votes to Hitler’s Nazi Party . . . giving the Nazi Party the power to  Though the Nazi Party won the largest share of votes in the July and November 1932 elections and the March 1933 election, they needed to enter coalitions with other parties to secure a parliamentary majority. See “Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Rise to Power, 1918–1933,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, last updated June 23, 2025, accessed September 11, 2025, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-nazi-rise-to-power; Hitler Comes to Power,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, November 14, 2024, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/hitler-comes-to-power; Marc von Lüpke-Schwarz, Last ‘Free’ Vote,” Deutsche Welle (DW), March 5, 2013, www.dw.com/en/voting-in-the-midst-of-nazi-terror/a-16646980; and Spencer Kimball, “Fact or Fiction: Adolf Hitler Won an Election in 1932,” DW, August 29, 2015, www.dw.com/en/fact-or-fiction-adolf-hitler-won-an-election-in-1932/a-18680673.

249     In September 2018 . . . founded the People’s Party of Canada “The House: Maxime Bernier Introduces His New Political Party,” CBC Radio, September 15, 2018, www.cbc.ca/radio/thehouse/the-house-maxime-bernier-introduces-his-new-political-party-1.4815673.

249     pledging to reduce immigration  John Ibbitson, “Maxime Bernier Goes to a Dark Place,” opinion, Globe and Mail, November 12, 2018, www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-maxime-bernier-goes-to-a-dark-place/.

249     “adopt widely shared Canadian values . . .”  Maxime Bernier, speech at Rebel Media conference, November 10, 2018, quoted in Ibbitson, “Maxime Bernier Goes to a Dark Place,” www.theglobeandmail.com/politics/article-maxime-bernier-goes-to-a-dark-place/.

249     equated . . . with an embrace of “barbarism”  Maxime Bernier, Twitter, November 11, 2018, 8:54 a.m., x.com/MaximeBernier/status/1061618081410076672, archived at archive.today, February 9, 2026 capture, archive.ph/wip/gf7hs.

249     formed Partido Nueva República  Frank Rodríguez, “Fabricio Alvarado Resigns from National Restoration and Takes 7 Deputies with him,” Semanario Universidad, October 23, 2018, semanariouniversidad.com/destacadas/fabricio-alvarado-renuncia-a-restauracion-nacional-y-se-lleva-a-7-diputados/, via Google Translate.

249     nearly winning the Costa Rican presidential election  International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) Election Guide, “Costa Rican Presidency Round 2,” April 1, 2018, last updated June 21, 2024, accessed February 11 2025, www.electionguide.org/elections/id/3049/.

249     blamed migrants for the rise in homicide rates  Immediately following the 2018 presidential election, Fabricio Alvarado told the New Internationalist, “The disorganized system we currently have has an impact on the security situation the country is facing […] by declaring a migratory amnesty of one or two years, we will be able to find out who is here with criminal intentions.” Alvarado quoted in Gustavo Fuchs, “Evangelical Uprising: A New Political Opposition in Costa Rica,” New Internationalist, April 5, 2018, newint.org/features/web-exclusive/2018/04/05/fabricio-alvarado-evangelical-opposition.

249     decried. . . advancing “gender ideology” . . . “contrary to nature”  Fabricio Alvarado quoted in Alvaro Murillo, “Faith and Poverty Move Votes: Preacher Fabricio Alvarado’s Strategy to Win the Presidency of Costa Rica,” Univision Noticias (News), March 29, 2018, www.univision.com/noticias/america-latina/fe-ciega-y-temor-de-dios-la-base-electoral-del-predicador-fabricio-alvarado-para-ganar-la-presidencia-de-costa-rica, via Google Translate.

249     amassed more votes than any other party  Zoya Sheftalovich, “Anti-Immigration SDS Party Wins Slovenian Election,” Politico, June 4, 2018, www.politico.eu/article/anti-immigration-sds-party-wins-slovenian-election-janez-jansa-miro-cerar/.

249     in Colombia . . . claimed the presidency  Joe Parkin Daniels, “Iván Duque Wins Election to Become Colombia’s President,” The Guardian, June 18, 2018, www.theguardian.com/world/2018/jun/18/ivan-duque-wins-election-to-become-colombias-president.

249     “recalls the rhetoric behind Nazi policies . . .” Federico Finchelstein, “Jair Bolsonaro’s Model Isn’t Berlusconi: It’s Goebbels,” Foreign Policy, October 5, 2018, foreignpolicy.com/2018/10/05/bolsonaros-model-its-goebbels-fascism-nazism-brazil-latin-america-populism-argentina-venezuela/.

249     dubbed him the “Trump of the Tropics” “Jair Bolsonaro: Brazil’s Firebrand Leader Dubbed the Trump of the Tropics,” BBC News, December 31, 2018, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-45746013.

249     former military officer of Italian and German ancestry  Anthony Faiola and Marina Lopes, “Bolsonaro Wins Brazilian Presidency,” Washington Post, October 28, 2018, www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/brazilians-go-the-polls-with-far-right-jair-bolsonaro-as-front-runner/2018/10/28/880dd53c-d6dd-11e8-8384-bcc5492fef49_story.html.

249     appreciation for the military dictatorship  Dom Phillips, “Jair Bolsonaro Says Brazilians ‘Still Don’t Know What Dictatorship Is,'” The Guardian, November 19, 2018, www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/20/jair-bolsonaro-says-brazilians-still-dont-know-what-dictatorship-is.

249     became the leader of . . . Open Town Hall  Magdalena Broquetas and Gerardo Caetano, “The Far-Right Tide Reaches Uruguay,” North American Congress on Latin America (NACLA), April 2, 2024, nacla.org/far-right-uruguay-manini-rios.

249     accumulated 11 percent of the first-round presidential vote “Uruguay Presidential Election to Go to Second Round,” BBC News, October 28, 2019, www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-50207881.

249     A former commander in chief of the armed forces  Broquetas and Caetano, “The Far-Right Tide Reaches Uruguay,” nacla.org/far-right-uruguay-manini-rios.

249     defended officials on trial . . . during Uruguay’s civilian-military dictatorship “Uruguay’s President Removes Commander of the Army,” Associated Press (AP) News, March 12, 2019, apnews.com/general-news-55698fabf74a48b4a355e6759bf23941; and Broquetas and Caetano, “The Far-Right Tide Reaches Uruguay,” nacla.org/far-right-uruguay-manini-rios.

249     as a patriotic fighter against globalization and “gender ideology”

José Antonio Sanahuja and Camilo López Burian, “Latin American Neo-Patriots,” NACLA, April 2, 2024, nacla.org/los-neopatriotas-latinoamericanas, via Google Translate; Gerardo Caetano, “Opinion: Manini Ríos, a Risky Partner and Potential Adversary,” Perfil, November 30, 2019, www.perfil.com/noticias/columnistas/manini-rios-socio-riesgoso-y-potencial-adversario.phtml, via Google Translate; and Guido Manini Ríos, “We do not agree with the gender ideology that is being imposed on our society at all costs . . .” Facebook, August 4, 2019, www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=pfbid0325vfkgn89gWBU72AfKoMDtcEz5jZjRXnLn7LitcrDMNqgupfZjNcwwZAtEMRaGzVl&id=618612725252732, via Google Translate, archived at archive.today, February 10, 2026 capture, archive.ph/6t9Lp.

249–250 as Hindu patriots defending against the nation’s Muslims . . . 303 of the 543 seats  Snigdha Poonam, “Modi’s Message Was Simple: Hindus First,” Foreign Policy, May 24, 2019, foreignpolicy.com/2019/05/24/modis-message-was-simple-hindus-first/.

250     its best performance in any election in the European Parliamentary election Jan Cienski, “Poland’s PiS Smashes Opposition in European Election Vote,” Politico, May 26, 2019, www.politico.eu/article/poland-law-and-justice-pis-jaroslaw-kaczynski-wins-european-election/.

250     45 percent of the vote European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2019–2014: Poland—Official Results,” accessed February 11, 2025, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/poland/2019-2024/constitutive-session/.

250     were established in 2019  Sorina Soare, “Charting Populist Pathways: Romanian Populism’s Journey to the European Parliament,” European Center for Populism Studies, October 29, 2024, www.populismstudies.org/charting-populist-pathways-romanian-populisms-journey-to-the-european-parliament/; and “Portugal Election: Key Takeaways as Socialists Cement Power,” Euronews, January 31, 2022, www.euronews.com/2022/01/31/portugal-election-three-takeaways-as-socialists-cement-power.

250     its best . . . to date in November 2019 Raphael Minder, “Spain’s Far Right Emerges as a Force by Tapping a New Nationalism,” New York Times, November 11, 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/11/11/world/europe/spain-election-vox-abascal.html.

250     accumulated the second-most votes  IFES Election Guide, “Belgian Chamber of Representatives,” May 26, 2019, last updated June 21, 2024, accessed February 13, 2025, www.electionguide.org/elections/id/3150/.

250     met with . . .Van Grieken Jennifer Rankin, “Belgian King’s Meeting with Far-Right Leader Sparks Controversy,” The Guardian, May 29, 2019, www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/29/belgian-king-meeting-far-right-leader-sparks-controversy.

250     the last time . . . met with Léon Degrelle  Rankin, “Belgian King’s Meeting with Far-Right Leader Sparks Controversy,” www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/29/belgian-king-meeting-far-right-leader-sparks-controversy.

250     led the Rexist party, which later collaborated . . . Rankin, “Belgian King’s Meeting with Far-Right Leader Sparks Controversy,” www.theguardian.com/world/2019/may/29/belgian-king-meeting-far-right-leader-sparks-controversy. See also “Léon Degrelle,” Holocaust Encyclopedia, July 21, 2022, encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/leon-degrelle-1.

250     hosted . . . shared a derision for the European Union, immigrants . . . “Italy’s Salvini Calls for Far-Right Unity Ahead of EU Parliament Elections,” France 24, April 8, 2019, www.france24.com/en/20190408-italy-salvini-calls-unity-far-right-eu-parliament-elections.

250     united to form . . . the ID group  Natalie Huet with Reuters, “Nationalism in the EU Has a New Name: ‘Identity and Democracy,’” Euronews, June 13, 2019, www.euronews.com/2019/06/13/nationalism-in-the-eu-has-a-new-name-identity-and-democracy.

250     unite into one Eurosceptic group . . .across three groups, including  “Italy’s Salvini Calls for Far-Right Unity Ahead of EU Parliament Elections” www.france24.com/en/20190408-italy-salvini-calls-unity-far-right-eu-parliament-elections.  

250     founded in 2009 “The Brief: European Conservatives and Reformists—a Closer Look,” Euronews, May 14, 2019, www.euronews.com/my-europe/2019/05/14/the-brief-european-conservatives-and-reformists-a-closer-look.

250     brought together . . . Poland’s Law and Justice, the Sweden Democrats, Greek Solution, and Fratelli d’Italia (Brothers of Italy)  European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2019–2024: Poland—Official Results,” accessed February 13, 2025, results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/poland/2019-2024/constitutive-session/; European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2019–2024: Greece—Official Results,” accessed February 13, 2025, https://results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/greece/2019-2024/constitutive-session/; European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2019–2024: Sweden—Official Results,” accessed February 13, 2025, https://results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/sweden/2019-2024/constitutive-session/ and European Parliament, “Results by National Party—2019–2024: Italy—Official Results,” accessed February 13, 2025, https://results.elections.europa.eu/en/national-results/italy/2019-2024/constitutive-session/.

250–251 founded in 2010 Bruno Waterfield, “France’s FN to Team Up with Other Far Right Parties for European Elections,” The Telegraph, October 23, 2013, www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/france/10400740/Frances-FN-to-team-up-with-other-far-Right-parties-for-European-elections.html.

250–251            linking . . . National Front and . . . Party for Freedom  Rikard Jozwiak, “Elections Seen Giving Moscow Bigger Anchor In European Parliament,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, May 13, 2014, www.rferl.org/a/russia-european-fringe-parties/25382987.html.

251      failed to amass enough allies Kim Willsher and Ian Traynor, “Marine Le Pen Fails to Form Far-Right Bloc in European Parliament,” The Guardian, June 24, 2014, www.theguardian.com/world/2014/jun/24/marine-le-pen-fails-form-far-right-bloc-european-parliament.

251      created the Europe of Nations and Freedom  Alissa J. Rubin, “Far-Right Parties Form Coalition in European Parliament,” New York Times, June 16, 2015, www.nytimes.com/2015/06/17/world/europe/far-right-parties-form-coalition-in-european-parliament.html.

251      gathered in Koblenz  Atika Shubert, “Europe’s Far-Right Leaders Speak on Trump at Conference,” CNN, January 21, 2017, www.cnn.com/2017/01/21/politics/europe-far-right-conference/index.html.

251      “2016 was the year the Anglo-Saxon world woke up”  Marine Le Pen quoted in Kate Connolly, “After the US, Far Right Says 2017 Will Be the Year Europe Wakes Up,” The Guardian, January 21. 2017, www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/21/koblenz-far-right-european-political-leaders-meeting-brexit-donald-trump.

251      “blond” . . . “strangers in their own countries” . . . “Islamization” Geert Wilders quoted in Shubert, “Europe’s Far-Right Leaders Speak on Trump at Conference,” www.cnn.com/2017/01/21/politics/europe-far-right-conference/index.html.

251      slammed . . . media outlets. Chants of “Lügenpresse!” . . .  Shubert, “Europe’s Far-Right Leaders Speak on Trump at Conference,” www.cnn.com/2017/01/21/politics/europe-far-right-conference/index.html.

251      meaning “lying press” . . . “fake news” See Timothy Snyder, “Opinion: How Hitler Pioneered ‘Fake News,’” New York Times, October 16, 2019, www.nytimes.com/2019/10/16/opinion/hitler-speech-1919.html; and Jeff Nesbit, “Donald Trump Supporters Are Using a Nazi Word to Attack Journalists,” Time, October 25, 2016, time.com/4544562/donald-trump-supporters-lugenpresse/.

251      supplanted the Europe of Nations and Freedom “Parliamentary Groups: Identity and Democracy,” Multimedia Centre, European Parliament, August 19, 2019, multimedia.europarl.europa.eu/en/video/parliamentary-groups-identity-and-democracy_N01-PUB-190720-IDGR.

251      dissolved that year  Jack Parrock, “The Brief: Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy—a Closer Look,” Euronews, May 25, 2019, www.euronews.com/my-europe/2019/05/17/the-brief-europe-of-freedom-and-direct-democracy-a-closer-look; and Maïa de La Baume, “Brexit Party Misses First Deadline to Form Political Group in European Parliament,” Politico, June 26, 2019, www.politico.eu/article/brexit-party-nigel-farage-fails-to-form-political-group-in-european-parliament/.

251      declined to join with ID  Jennifer Rankin, “MEPs Create Biggest Far-Right Group in European Parliament,” The Guardian, June 13, 2019, www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jun/13/meps-create-biggest-far-right-group-in-european-parliament.

251      joined the ID group  See the ID group’s official website, accessed via Wayback Machine, December 18, 2020 capture, web.archive.org/web/20201218004910/https://www.idgroup.eu/.

251      “European civilisation, its Christian heritage and . . .”  “Statutes of the Identity and Democracy (ID) Group in the European Parliament,” June 13, 2019, 4, accessed via Wayback Machine, April 5, 2023 capture, web.archive.org/web/20230405144805/https://assets.nationbuilder.com/idgroup/pages/54/attachments/original/1673443377/NEW_ID_Statutes__EN_11.2022.pdf?1673443377.