“Mainstreaming the extreme”: political factors, social conditions and cultural perceptions propelling the far-right and neo-nationalism in Europe

Scholarly analysis of the rise of the far-right has mostly emphasized the differences between extremist and mainstream forms of right wing politics, and has thus often disregarded their interactions. Moreover, the connections between different forms of extremisms (right or left) have been investigated to an even lesser extent. Nevertheless, since the popularity of the far-right has increased in an unexpected way in Europe, some analysis of political supply as well as of social demand have proposed to examine the far-right phenomena as related to mainstream politics and discourses. This new scholarly interest has also challenged the adequacy of structural explanations of far-right phenomena focused on the objective disadvantages triggered by economic crisis or decline and on the losers of these structural processes. They added to this the examination of the ways how other social groups and categories, who still dispose of considerable capital, became touched upon, moreover, motivated by discourses of decline and fear and the promises of far-right actors to restore order in a completely different politico-cultural framework.
Studies of political culture, of media and political discourses have initiated to investigate the political visions and social perception utilized by far-right actors, as well as of the ways how they have become conceivable, moreover desired by a considerable part of society. Scholars have identified the decisive role of re-imagination of “traditional” communities against individualism and transnational identities, and of “integralist” world views as opposed to the enlightenment based visions of society; but also the controversial application of the values of European modernity (such as emancipation, tolerance etc.) against the non-European (mostly Muslim) Others. These perceptions are usually embedded in new nationalist discourses on the “endangered” cultural and moral integrity of the nation, along with discursive reifications of “annoying” or “dangerous” aliens. Though the social conditions and the history of nationalist thoughts are very different, neo-nationalisms, like far-right politics, show many similarities in different parts of Europe, which we aim to understand here by utilizing a comparative and interdisciplinary approach.
A combination af visiting research stay; conference workshop; theme issue for first issue of new journal; and editing volume all of which is treating the growth of neo-nationalism and related phenomenon in Central Europe.