In this frenetic and vertiginous world in which we live, the social changes that take place little by little seem to us to be sometimes imperceptible, irrelevant or insignificant. That is not the case, however, and we have to be aware of it in order to act wisely. An example of this is that in recent years the extreme right is gradually spreading throughout the world. This trend is evident in the Spanish State and also in Europe, where, according to the last European elections on 9 June, one in four Members is already far-right. In other remote countries such as Argentina, Brazil and the United States, leaders of this ideological trend have also been highlighted. We have no more to take a map to realize this expansion.

Far-right groups have common features: populism, anti-feminism, nationalism, xenophobia, conservatism, authoritarianism and confusion of the rejection of pluralism. The policies advocating this dangerous cocktail violate the social and environmental advances made over decades in human rights, justice and solidarity. Therefore, their repressive policies and hate speeches against ethnic and religious groups, as well as against sexual and gender diversity, among others, promote a climate of intolerance and violence and systematically violate human rights. In addition, the arguments of the extreme right are based on lies and falsehoods that generate social tensions and polarize citizenship.

On the occasion of the International Day against Poverty and Exclusion, which takes place on 17 October, we would like to recall that policies driven by far-right parties promote austerity, privatisation and the reduction of social services, which are detrimental to the most vulnerable social sectors and which increase the gap between rich and poor. They also reject ethnic and racial diversity and rely on mistrust towards migrants or refugees, dehumanizing them and blaming them for all the evils of society. They also propose simple solutions for complex problems, without deepening and without taking into account the real causes.

In short, the rise of the extreme right poses a clear threat to equity, justice and human rights in the world, jeopardising freedom, democracy and social cohesion. Therefore, from the Poverty Cero platform of Donostia, composed of fourteen social organizations and social movements of the city that work against exclusion, poverty and inequalities, we demand the need to provide citizens with tools to cope with disinformation and the blood cells, so that they do not contribute to its dissemination. It is necessary to contribute from childhood to the development of skills and to the acquisition of tools that allow people to gain critical awareness for collective well-being, human rights and social justice. In addition, we propose to face fear with information, so it is necessary to be aware of the risk and influence of the rise of the extreme right and of the stigmatizing and discriminatory discourses that are being interiorized in society. And it's also that people who don't define themselves as far-right get to assimilate those speeches. We must also mobilise in defence of the human rights of all people and demand that the institutions take the necessary steps to guarantee these rights. We cannot make the mistake of legitimising the extreme right; we must establish health barriers to isolate and paralyse it.

We are aware that the rise of the extreme right has been favoured by many causes, and that the solution must be global and work in many sectors. That is why, in the face of the challenges and threats facing our world, we cannot stand still. We therefore invite citizens to participate and mobilise in the various initiatives we have organised on the occasion of the International Day against Poverty and Exclusion. Specifically, this Friday (18 May) we have organized in the Old Town of Donostia a a free vindictive bertso with the title Eskubide ez eskuin puntera, with the participation of Maialen Lujanbio and Unai Agirre, and Imanol Artola as a theme presenter.

Haizea Bernas Loinaz, Donostia Zero Poverty Platform