Should European governments fight harder against racism?

I guess they do their best, all people including Africans are racists by nature, its the degrees that vary.

From a political point of view many of the major parties in the Netherlands would do wrong by trying to fight racism. Take a look at the increase of far right political movements such as the Party for Freedom. Why should a political party thriving on the idea of kicking out all illegal immigrants, only wanting the Dutch in the Netherlands, fight against racism? Now of course they do not openly admit it in the Netherlands but a very large proportion of the population has a negative stance towards immigrants. Leeches they're referred to at times (in reference to use of social security). As longs as the recession and the current negative stance towards foreigners and foreign religions remains there is very little hope for political motives to resolve the racism issue.  The more leftish parties might wish to fight it, but then again they're losing ground in several countries. The only governing body that can enforce a anti-racism program would be the European Union, which would be rather interesting to see develop.

As a white European it may not be my place to post here, but I thought I'd share my opinion on this topic. After having lived in Africa for a number of years with my wife (who is African), we moved back (in my case) to Europe last year. We settled in the west of Germany, a country I'm not native too either, and our experiences have been very positive. I have read and seen a number of negative accounts of people on this site and feel sad that racism (still) happens in Europe. However, my wife has not had any unpleasant interractions with anyone and we are left to go about our lives.

This in stark contrast to back in Africa where public life was very unpleasant. I was regularly told to go home and my wife was called all manner of nasty things for being with a white man. In (Northern) Europe we can go to any place of business or government office and get reliable service without first having to find a member of my 'tribe' (or give bribes or both).

There are certainly large parts of Europe, like the East, where immigrants are not welcome and we choose not to go there. I'm sure in the West a large number of people share their opinions, but they keep them to themselves. We have travelled extensively throughout Western Europe and all has been well. I'd like to counter that many Africans will actually experience less racism in many parts of Europe than they would back home. In Africa it's called tribalism, but the outcomes are the same: denial of service and opportunities, hostility and at times, violence.

Pure racism is not what you often face in Europe. But there is something else. The right word would be 'xenophobia', I think. If you speak the local language (French, German, Dutch, etc.) good enough, it eliminates at least a part of this problem. What concerns discrimination (for example, when you apply for a job (and I mean a legal job), it is what all immigrants (of African, Asian, or Eastern European origin) do face. And not only immigrants. In Holland, for example, you see discrimination of people who are Dutch, but come from other provinces. For example, if somebody from  Utrecht, from friesland or from Limburg lives in Amsterdam and looks for a job there, he or she is sure to face discrimination. The same about somebody from Amsterdam who tries to get a job in friesland or in Limburg.

And just look at 'criminal news'   in newspapers.   If a crime was committed, they are sure to write that the criminal was 'of Turkish origin''of Maroccan origin', 'of Polish origin', etc.  Or, if he or she was Dutch and it is an Amsterdam's newspaper they will mention that the criminal was from Friesland, or from Utrecht, etc. If it is a newspaper published in Friesland, in Limburg or in North Brabant, they are sure to mention that the criminal was from Amsterdam, from Rotterdam or from somewhere else, but not from their own province.

In Dutch-speaking provinces of Belgium you (no matter what the color of your skin may be) can have big problems if you speak Dutch (they call it Flemish there, but it is, basically, the same language as Dutch) with French accent (the relations between the Dutch-speaking and the French-speaking parts of Belgium are very complicated now).

So it is very complicated. But racism or xenophobia, or whatever it is, your life is sure to be very difficut.