The Politics of the Extreme Right: From the Margins to the Mainstream (History and Politics in the 20th Century: Bloomsbury Academic)

"Fascist, authoritarian, anti-Semitic and extremist movements made a powerful and devastating contribution to the 20th century. While the experiences of the 1930s and 1940s served to delegitimise such forces, contemporary Europe and the USA have witnessed the resurgence of extreme right-wing politics. Rapid socio-economic change, the appeal of nationalism, the failures of mainstream political parties and intense campaigning around issues such as immigration, security and unemployment have all fuelled the phenomenon. This book, a sequel to The Extreme Right in Europe and the USA, provides a comprehensive and analysis of the nature and prevalence of extreme right movements in Europe - both West and East - and in the USA at the turn of the millennium. The authors reveal the uneven process of extreme right-wing revival, which has varied from country to country depending on specific political cultures and circumstances, with some movements confined to the margins while others have moved towards the political mainstream. They examine the ideas, policies, personalities, organizations, voters and reasons for the success of extreme right-wing movements in a range of countries, as well as providing a more general examination of the nature and politics of the extreme right."--Bloomsbury Publishing. Cover Half-title Title Copyright Contents Contributors Acknowledgements 1 Introduction: the extreme right Introduction The extreme right: definitional problems The extreme right: parties, policies and perspectives Conclusion References 2 The Front National, from ascendancy to fragmentation on the French extreme right Introduction From obscurity to success Voters Policies Conclusion: schism References 3 Jorg Haider and the new FPO: beyond the democratic pale? The pan-German tradition in Austria pre-1945 Re-establishing Austria after Hitler Defining the extreme right in post-war Austria Towards liberalism? The FPO and the integration of the third Lager into post-war Austria Problems of the Second Republic in the 1980s The re-emergence of right-wing populism Haider and the politics of right-wing populism Conclusions References 4 Exit from the ghetto: the Italian far right in the 1990s The years of endurance, 1946-90 Escape from the ghetto Conclusion References 5 Right-wing extremism in unified Germany A brief definition of right-wing extremism West Germany: the three waves of right-wing extremism The Republikaner in unified Germany Elections and membership trends Policy platform Internal division Right-wing extremism in the new Lander Anti-fascism in the GDR System transformation The Land elections of 1998 in Saxony-Anha The asylum-seeker issue Influence on the political climate Conclusion Abbreviations used in this chapter and organizations mentioned Notes References and further reading 6 Belgium: explaining the relationship between Vlaams Blok and the city of Antwerp Introduction General context The financial and economic crisis Social, political and cultural decompartmentalization The crumbing electoral base of the two coalition partners New policy challenges and the ruling parties The strategy of the Vlaams Blok The peak: the municipal elections of 24 October 1994 in Antwerp Conclusion Notes References 7 The Netherlands: explaining the limited success of the extreme right Introduction History of extreme right parties in the Netherlands Organization and ideology of the CD The electoral basis: protest or xenophobia? Explaining the limited success of the Dutch extreme right Notes References 8 The extreme right and British exceptionalism: the primacy of politics British exceptionalism The problem of extreme right support Who voted for and joined the NF in the 1970s? The failure of the NF and the British political tradition The BNP: the same old story? Conclusion References 9 Radical right-wing populism in Scandinavia: from tax revolt to neo-liberalism and xenophobia Introduction The breakthrough of new parties Leadership as a condition for consolidation Electoral support Ideology and political style Not so much populism in style No traditional populist ideology Neo-liberalism Immigration Conclusions Political attitudes General left-right position General distrust Taxation and welfare Immigration, aid to developing countries The environment and 'new polities' European integration Conclusion: ideological profile Social profile Gender and age profile Class profile: a working-lass party Marginalized working class or decline of solidarity Conclusion Notes References 10 After the fall: nationalist extremism in post-communist Russia Introduction The decomposition of Stalinism Zhirinovsky and the Liberal Democratic Party of Russia Constitutional crisis Zyuganov and the Communist Party of the Russian Federation The 1993 Duma elections The 1995 Duma elections The 1996 presidential elections Conclusion Acknowledgements References 11 Marginalization or mainstream? The extreme right in post-communist Romania The conceptual approach Parties of 'radical continuity' Parties of 'radical return' Right-wing extremism in mainstream formations 'Marginalization of the mainstream' Notes References 12 Serbia: extremism from the top and a blurring of right into left Introduction The face of Serbian extremism Searching for ideological roots Differences A presidential career Intellectuals in politics Breaking alliances Dual ideologies Clouding the message Conclusion: Serbian extremism and the Kosovo tragedy Notes References 13 The politics of anger: the extreme right in the United States Introduction The origins of the Ku Klux Klan The rise and fall of the 'second' Klan The Klan and the civil rights movement The radical right Racist right Wallace and beyond The Klan's last stand? Beyond the Klan? Patriots The armed road Duke with three Ks The extreme right in the 1990s References and further reading Index Postwar Europe and the USA have seen the emergence of extreme right-wing politics. This text provides an analysis of the nature and prevalence of extreme-right movements within a comparative framework. It focuses mainly on Western Europe, but also considers Central and Eastern Europe and the USA.