In 2019, Oswald Mosley’s European vision does not feel so distant, as current affairs increasingly come to resemble the darker parts of history. Euroskepticism is often discussed, particularly in the context of the ongoing Brexit debate, as a right-wing political cause. However, the recent maneuverings of the European authoritarian right ahead of the EU parliamentary… Continue reading “Dark Visions: The Historical Precursor to Europe’s Radical Right”
The Austrian populist radical right party FPÖ is consistently deciding on policies that are disadvantageous for the working class – yet the party can count on workers’ votes in elections. The same is true across Europe, and has been for a while. How can we explain that workers seem to be inclined to vote… Continue reading “The Radical Right Chewbacca Defence: Why it does not matter if the radical right is lying to the working class that voted them into power”
Many people are familiar with images of fascist children goose-stepping and saluting as part of the Hitler Youth or Mussolini’s Balilla youth movement. But in today’s world where the radical right are grooming young potential activists at concerts, through churches or mosques, or through the internet, paying attention to the methods used by recruiters to… Continue reading “How Fascist Activists Groomed Children”
Many scholars and observers have noted that our historical moment is marked by an extraordinary populist nationalist conjuncture (Brubaker 2017). Across European contexts and beyond, radical right parties have obtained double-digit support on a platform protesting European and global integration. Existing scholarship has focused on the supply side of populism, examining its drivers. Scholars have… Continue reading “When the wounded nation strikes back”
Far from the whole of the church supports extreme right-wing platforms, but ethnonationalism does have a long history in Romanian Orthodoxy. In a recent book evaluating the prospects for Romanian democracy, the prominent Austrian historian Oliver Jens Schmitt identified the Romanian Orthodox Church as one of four key institutions that have promoted what he calls… Continue reading “Within the Romanian Orthodox Church, Strong Fascist Currents Still Exist”
The intelligence work that is supposed to support law enforcement is being shuttered by an administration that finds bliss in ignorance. The Department of Homeland Security’s decision to disband its group of domestic terrorism intelligence analysts effectively ends the agency’s role in providing assessments of white nationalist threats to law enforcement. The elimination of a… Continue reading “White Nationalist Body Count Swells, and Trump’s Department of Homeland Security Retreats”
The idea of European civilisation is repeatedly evoked by a range of different actors within radical right movements in the West. Paradoxically, whilst much of the European radical right is resistant to the European Union as a political project, many elements of radical right discourse return to the idea of Europe as a homogenous culture.… Continue reading “The Narrative of European Civilization within Radical Right Discourse”
The Trump administration tried to downplay the New Zealand terrorist’s white supremacist views and the global threat of the radical right. That’s dangerous. The man hates “anti-white scum,” calls for the murder of Muslims and liberals, and rails against “white genocide.” He describes himself as a “fascist” and cites the late British fascist leader Oswald… Continue reading “Downplaying The Threat Of White Supremacy, Trump Admin Cries “Eco-Terrorism””
Recall that in the last CARR blog, I offered key definitions in the literature, including what we mean by the radical right, populism, nativism, and illiberalism respectively. I also highlighted some interpretations of these terms and underscored some of the links between them. In this blog, I want to offer seven theses on the rise… Continue reading ““The Global Rise of Nativism and Illiberalism: A Conversation on the Contemporary Political Pathology,” Part 3: Seven theses about the radical right”
The national ecosystem must be preserved and remain pure — free from those who do not belong. While the significance of preserving and caring for the natural environment in radical-right thought might surprise some, it is thoroughly rooted in the importance some of these actors attach to the space in which the Volk is supposed… Continue reading “The National Ecosystem: Radical Right and Biodiversity”