Immigration security

Central Europe's Hard Turn to the Right

The anti-Muslim mood, anchored to recent terrorist activities in France, Germany and Belgium, is part of a call for change across the region. Right-wing leaders are capitalizing on fear and xenophobia to flatly reject incoming Muslim refugees primarily fleeing Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq.

"What you have here is a perfect storm resulting from the financial crisis in the West, the security crisis and the refugee crisis," says Mabel Berezin, an expert in nationalism in Europe and a sociologist at the department of sociology at Cornell University.

According to a study by the Pew Research Center published in July, 43 percent of the surveyed populations of 10 countries had an unfavorable view of Muslims. Another 59 percent said they believe accepting refugees increases the likelihood of terrorism. The 10 countries included France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland,Spain, Sweden and the United Kingdom.