FACT SHEET
The far-right movement, now mainstream in most Western democracies, gains populist support through promoting a narrative of challenging racial/cultural threats.
History
In the 1960s, the Nouvelle Droite believed that creating cultural hegemony was a necessary precursor to changing political power and challenging the establishment. The contemporary far right has been able to capitalise upon the fear of terrorism and the climate of anti-Muslim hostility after 9/11, the economic collapse of 2008, and in Western Europe the influx of refugees into the continent, which measured over a million by 2015. (In Eastern Europe, the demonisation of the Roma population as cultural outsiders was more salient.)
The social and psychological insecurities caused by these cultural crises paved the way for rise of parties such as The French Rassemblement National (RN) (formerly Front National), the Dutch Freedom Party (PVV), the Austrian Party for Freedom (FPÖ), the Alternative for Germany (AfD) and the Italian Lega to pick up votes from across the political spectrum. The coronavirus has exacerbated this situation, with the far-right gaining even more ground recently.
Ideology
Radical right parties combine nativism, authoritarianism, and populism. Historically the left-right division in politics has been marked by contrasting economic policies. However, over recent decades, the right has generally become defined in terms of authoritarianism and nationalism, as opposed to libertarianism and internationalism. The right tends to regard inequalities between groups as natural or at least unproblematic, whereas the left regards them as negative aspects to be redressed through state intervention.
While the far-right is committed to democracy, it rejects some of the principles of liberal democracy, such as minority rights, rule of law, and the separation of powers. It is also suspicious of supranational organisations such as the United Nations and the European Union. Ideologically, the far right espouses traditional family values. Meanwhile, it presents women and women’s rights as under threat from Islam and Muslims.
Impact
Far right parties appeal to voters frustrated with the political elite, and concerned about globalisation, immigration and the dilution of national identity. Although the far right is politically marginal, gaining just 4.7% of the vote from 2001-2010, this has increased to 7.5% by 2018. These parties are increasingly influential, particularly within systems of proportional representation. These results vary widely from country to country, with far right parties gaining as little as 0.05% of the vote to as much as 49%.
In 2019, Brazil, India, and the US, three of the world’s biggest democracies had a far-right populist leader, and the world’s biggest political party was connected to the Hindutva movement. Two governments in the European Union – Hungary and Poland – are controlled by populist far-right parties, with far-right movements increasingly popular across the region. Telegenic politicians, such as Donald Trump and Nigel Farage, have been able to exploit a media invested in spectacle. Illiberal attempts to challenge the far right – such as the actions of Antifa – also keep them in the public eye.