Jean Thiriart

Jean-Francois Thiriart (1922—November 23 1992) was a Belgian far right politician.

Youth

Initially a Socialist, Thiriart evolved into a Nationalist form of non-Marxist Socialism.

Coming from a left-wing family, Thiriat was a member of some Socialist and antifascist movements. During the World-War II, he joined the "Fichte Bund" (a national-bolshevist association) and was associated with "Les Amis du grand Reich Allemand" in 1940, a far-left group which supported collaborationism. He served time in prison for his collaboration, and upon his release set up business as an optometrist.

Cold War syncretism

Thiriart returned to the political scene in the 1960s, after Belgium gave up its claim to Congo. Due to his opposition to this development he became associated with the Mouvement d’Action Civique (MAC), although he also became interested in a more international vision. Establishing links with French groups similarly opposed to decolonization, he eventually became a European Nationalist, convinced of the need for a united Europe. As a result, he formed "Jeune Europe" as a movement to reach out across Europe, soon founding branches in Italy, Spain and France. Domestically he continued to co-operate with MAC, which enjoyed close ties to "Jeune Europe".

With a policy that was both Anti-American and Anti-Soviet, Thiriart presented Europe as the true cradle of civilisation, and was opposed to unmitigated immigration and imperialism, supporting instead national liberation, sovereignty and self-determination for all Europeans and the so-called "allied ethnicities" of Europe. This particular view created Thiriart many foes, on both the orthodox right and left. Notwithstanding the interpretation of his ideals and his political trajectory, Thiriart denied that he was a Nazi and claimed to belong to the centre of the political spectrum. Whatever is to be made of the positioning of his ideas, Thiriart attempted to put them into practice by being instrumental in the formation of the National Party of Europe, an unsuccessful attempt at creating a Europe-wide nationalist party.

Seeking to support radical revolutionaries in Latin America and Black Power movements in the United States, Thiriart began to develop the idea of creating "Political Soldiers", and set up training camps to facilitate indoctrination. He also became an admirer of Nicolae Ceauşescu, indicating a sympathy towards Stalinism that displayed strong Nationalist characteristics. The People's Republic of China was also admired for these same reasons.

National Bolshevism and later life

Thiriart moved towards National Bolshevism and in later life he worked closely with such exponents of this idea as Aleksandr Dugin. As well as being a member of the small pan-European European Liberation Front, Thiriart came to spend a lot of time in Russia where he saw the potential for an explosion in European Nationalism. He is the author of several books.

According to George Michael, in assistant professor in political science in Virginia (USA), Thiriart served as an adviser to Fatah of the Palestine Liberation Organization in the 1970s. [ [http://72.14.253.104/search?q=cache:wcXptBoBkjsJ:chronicle.com/weekly/v52/i33/33b00701.htm+Jean-Fran%C3%A7ois+Thiriart+Jews&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&gl=us Strange Bedfellows] , "The Chronicle Review", by George Michael.]

Thiriart died of a heart attack.

ee also

*National Bolshevism
*Operation Gladio
*European Liberation Front
*Francis Parker Yockey

Notes