The New Political Right and “Europe”


CEMES lecture series with open panel debates

16 November

 Final lecture – Roger Eatwell (University of Bath)

Discussant Niklas Olsen (University of Copenhagen)

'There is a vast academic literature on what this lecture series terms the European ‘new right’. Yet remarkably little of it focuses on the issue of Europe, understood either as the EU or (especially) in a wider sense. When Europe is discussed, it is largely in terms of refining different concepts and explanations of Euroscepticism – such as weighing domestic tactical against ideological determinants of party positions'

 

 

Roger Eatwell
Is Emeritus Professor of Politics at the University of Bath. He was co-founder of the European Consortium for Political Research Standing Group on Extremism and Democracy and the linked Routledge book series, which he still co-edits (36 books have been published so far). In this series he has edited with Cas Mudde Western Democracies and the New Extreme Right Challenge (2004) and with Matthew Goodwin The New Extremism in Twenty-First Century Britain (2010). Earlier publications include (ed.) The Nature of the Right (1989), Fascism. A History (1995), and (ed.) European Political Cultures: Conflict or Convergence? (1997). Forthcoming works include ‘Populism and Fascism’ in P. Taggart et al (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Populism (2017), and ‘Charisma and the Radical Right’ in J. Rydgren (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Radical Right (2017). He is currently writing a book with Matt Goodwin on national populist politics in Europe and the USA, which will appear in 2017.

 

 

This series of lectures approach the new political right with a comparative approach, exploring the different expressions this important new political movement has found in different European countries. Read more here

Organized by Centre for Modern European Studies (cemes.ku.dk)

 

The New Political Right and ‘Europe’

There is a vast academic literature on what this lecture series terms the European ‘new right’. Yet remarkably little of it focuses on the issue of Europe, understood either as the EU or (especially) in a wider sense. When Europe is discussed, it is largely in terms of refining different concepts and explanations of Euroscepticism – such as weighing domestic tactical against ideological determinants of party positions.

 1.a ‘New Right’ Programme/Ideology.

I want to begin with a general discussion of the elusive terminology issue to help answer the question posed by the general title of this lecture series. I will argue that the distinction between an ‘old’ and ‘new right’ (Ignazi and Ysmal 1992) is misleading – as well as the fact there can be some overlap, there are notable differences within the ‘new right’, including: ideological differences; some parties are in governments while others are surrounded by a cordon sanitaire; and some pose a threat to liberal democracy, whereas others - on balance - probably help by raising neglected issues and reconnecting voters who feel alienated from mainstream agendas. I will note three other commonly used terms, including ‘far right’, ‘extreme right’ and ‘radical right’ and especially the ‘populist radical right’ (Mudde 2007), which has been applied to parties like the Danish People’s Party as well as the French Front National. I will note some strengths and especially weaknesses of this influential categorisation, before turning directly to the title of my talk.

 1.b ‘New Right’ and Europe.

Europe is interesting in the context of ‘new right’ parties, firstly because it can shed light on similarities and differences between them. Moreover, Europe is becoming increasingly important to these parties’ campaigning. I will briefly look at some historical views of Europe, before focusing on more recent years under two (overlapping) headings. ‘New right’ programme/ideology and Europe – focusing first on politics, I will note the widespread use of critiques such as the EU’s ‘democratic deficit’, issues which are used to help legitimise their own politics. I will also look at politics in an international sphere beyond the EU, including attitudes towards Russia. Turning to ‘culture’ I will look at the way in which issues like immigration have helped ‘new right’ parties both define an alternative Europe and legitimate their politics. Turning to economics, ‘new right’ parties frame their increasingly important socio-economic policies by portraying the EU as part of neo-liberal globalisation, which threatens living standards and national ways of life. Varieties of Euroscepticism – I will briefly survey some differing party positions on Brexit-type ‘hard’ versus ‘soft’ Euroscepticism. These divisions are reflected in the different groups which ‘new right’ parties have joined in the European Parliament since 2014 (though greater representation opens new resources and publicity avenues, and possibly support?).

 2.a New Right Support.

I start by noting demand and supply side theoretical disputes about why ‘new right’ parties have gathered support in some countries. The literature on support for most of these parties does not focus on the issue of the EU, seeing immigration and related issues as the key, a factor also stressed in studies of the UKIP/Brexit vote (though the EU can be related to immigration, for example through plans to redistribute new arrivals). However, Brexit raises broad questions about the trajectory of Western politics, including whether there are major groups of people who are globalisation’s ‘left behinds’ and/or whether we are witnessing the rise of ‘culture wars’ between a cosmopolitan liberal elite and an indigenous (rather than immigrant) ‘Other’, including many ‘angry white men’? (Ford and Goodwin 2014.) 2.b The European Matrix (?) Given the growing emphasis on Europe in many ‘new right’ campaigns, we need to ask whether Europe could become the matrix which helps these parties build yet more support? Could Marine Le Pen, who supports Frexit, be the winner of the 2017 French Presidential elections? (she currently leads in polls, but it is a two ballot election.) The Brexit and Trump votes can be seen as confirming the theory that people facing major ‘normative threat’ to their way of life become risk takers (Stenner 2010). Le Pen sees the Brexit and Trump victories as showing that people are now willing to reject the status quo, arguing that: ‘all elections are now essentially referendums against unbridled globalisation’, and that the EU is an ‘oppressive model’ which should be replaced by a ‘Europe of free nations’, which ‘many Europeans are yearning for’ (BBC interview, 13 November 2016).

Comment and Questions

These are two very broad topics - especially as they raise major questions about parallels with Trump’s campaign and whether Trump’s victory has any direct impact on European ‘new right’ parties? The lecture will therefore raise points rather than discuss them in depth. I will stop for comment and question after the first section, as well as the second (which may have to be even more abbreviated than the first!?)

 

The  full lecture series program:

14. September
1) Introductory lecture: – Towards a New Political Right in Europe?
- Jeffrey Murer (University of St Andrews) 

21 September
Towards a New Political Right in Continental Europe:
France – Jørn Boisen (University of Copenhagen)
Germany  - Kai Arzheimer (University of Mainz)
Discussant Hans-Jörg Trenz  (University of Copenhagen) 

5 October 
Towards a New Political Right in East and Central Europe
Hungary/Poland - Andras Bozoki  (Central European University, Hungary)
Russia - Flemming Splidsboel-Hansen (DIIS)
Discussant Miklos Sükösd  (University of Copenhagen) 

26 October 
Towards a New Political Right in Scandinavia 
Denmark - Uffe Østergaard (Professor Emeritus, CBS)
Sweden  - Jens Rydgren (Stockholm Universitet)
Discussant Jes Fabricius Møller (University of Copenhagen) 

16 November
 Final lecture – The New Political Right and “Europe” 
- Roger Eatwell (University of Bath)
Discussant Niklas Olsen (University of Copenhagen)