1. Michael Minkenberg European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
The Radical Right (Populism, and Extremism) in Western and Eastern Europe: Convergence or Divergence?
    Michael Minkenberg European University Viadrina Frankfurt (Oder)
Presentation at Pilot Seminar “Culture, Education and the Challenge of Populism“
Council of Europe, Bishkek, 25 February 2017

2. Spiegel-Online: „Europas Feinde am rechten Rand“
(„Europe‘s Enemies at the Right-wing Margin“), 24 March 2014
(Access 10 June 2016)

3. Goals of my presentation:
concepts and definitions of the radical (populist) right
the development of the radical right in Western Europe
the development of the radical right in Eastern Europe and its regional specifics; and
the interaction with the “mainstream”

4. I. Concepts and definitions: the radical (populist) right

5. Populism, extremism, radicalism etc.:
What are we talking about?

10. At the European Parliament 2016: Political Group
FN invites Frauke Petry (AfD) to party congress
Marcus Pretzell (AfD) switches to ENF in European Parliament
Political Group
“Europe of Nations and Freedom”
(39 seats out of 751)
The ENF Group in the European Parliament , with Marine Le Pen in the center, and recendt addition Marcus Pretzell (AfD) on the far left.
(May 15, 2016)
Source: Wikipedia
(access June 5, 2016)

13. Source: https://www. merriam-webster
Source: (accessed 7 Feb 2017)

14. Defining the Radical Right: Conventional Approaches
Sexism
semitism
Anti-
Racism
Populism
Xeno-
phobia
Anti-
communism
Authoritainaism
Neo-fasicm

15. Definition Right-wing radicalism:
Right-wing radicalism:
a political ideology (and its agents), the core element of which is a myth of a homogenous nation with radicalized criteria of exclusion.
A romantic and populist ultra-nationalism, directed against the concept of liberal and pluralistic democracy and its underlying principles of individualism and universalism.
Criteria of exclusion:
ethnically,
culturally,
religiously
and/or gender based.

16. “People’s Initiative for the Deportation of Criminal Foreigners
“People’s Initiative for the Deportation of Criminal Foreigners. Creating Security”
The Swiss People’s Party (SVP) Initiative in 2007

17. “The Social Must Be National!”
National Democratic Party of Germany’s (NPD)
Web Poster in Hessian State Elections in 2008

18. Right-wing radicalism, in distinction to: -Right-wing extremism:
a clearly anti-democratic variant of right-wing radicalism, against the entire democratic order and/or violence prone

19. Right-wing radicalism, in distinction to: -Right-wing extremism:
a clearly anti-democratic variant of right-wing radicalism, against the entire democratic order and/or violence prone
Fascism:
a version of right-wing extremism with reference to historical fascism

20. Right-wing radicalism, in distinction to: -Right-wing extremism:
a clearly anti-democratic variant of right-wing radicalism, against the entire democratic order and/or violence prone
Fascism:
a version of right-wing extremism with reference to historical fascism
(Right-wing) Populism
not a distinct ideology, movement or party family (such as fascism, socialism, liberalism) but rather a particular political style and strategy opposing institutions and representatives of pluralist parliamentary democracy

21. Paul Taggart:
“populism is a reaction against the ideas, institutions and practices of representative politics which celebrates an implicit or explicit heartland as a response to a sense of crisis; however, lacking universal key values, it is chameleonic, taking on attributes of its environment, and, in practice, is episodic.”
(Paul Taggart, Populism. Buckingham: Open Univ. Press, 2000, p. 5; emphasis added)

22. Dividing lines of the radical right family
Starting point: a fundamental ideological dividing line which:
(1) differentiates whether today’s radical right embraces historical far right movements, ideologies or regimes, such as Nazism or fascism, being clearly anti-democratic and often approving of or employing violence as a political means;
(2) or whether it advocates a more contemporary racist or ethno- centrist nationalism, while not opposing democracy or the democratic order as such.
-> Following these considerations, a fourfold typology is proposed.

23. Table 1: Dominant Actors of the Radical Right - Ideological Variations
Extremist right
(fascist-autocratic/ anti-democratic right)
Ethno-centrist right
(racist or ethnocentric right but excluding fascism)
Populist-authoritarian right (typically with strong and charismatic leader and diffuse program)
Religious- fundamentalist right
(including ethnocentrism)

24. Table 2: Dominant Actors of the Radical Right - Ideological and Organizational Variations
Party/campaign organization
Social Movement Organization (SMO)
Sub-cultural milieu
Extremist right
(fascist-autocratic/ anti-democratic right)
Ethno-centrist right
(racist or ethnocentric right but excluding fascism)
Populist-authoritarian right (typically with strong and charismatic leader and diffuse program)
Religious- fundamentalist right
(including ethnocentrism)

25. II. The development of the radical right in Western Europe

26. The three phases of right-wing and xenophobic mobilization in the postwar era (West only):

27. The three phases of right-wing and xenophobic mobilization in the postwar era (West only):
The immediate postwar period with the following major groups or movements: McCarthyism in the USA, Poujadism in France, SRP in the Federal Republic, the MSI in Italy;

28. The three phases of right-wing and xenophobic mobilization in the postwar era (West only):
The immediate postwar period with the following major groups or movements: McCarthyism in the USA, Poujadism in France, SRP in the Federal Republic, the MSI in Italy;
The 1960s and early 1970s with: the Wallace movement in the USA, the NPD in West Germany, Powellism and the National Front in the UK – and still the MSI in Italy;

29. The three phases of right-wing and xenophobic mobilization in the postwar era (West only):
The immediate postwar period with the following major groups or movements: McCarthyism in the USA, Poujadism in France, SRP in the Federal Republic, the MSI in Italy;
The 1960s and early 1970s with: the Wallace movement in the USA, the NPD in West Germany, Powellism and the National Front in the UK – and still the MSI in Italy;
The 1980s and onward when radical right-wing parties distinct from their predecessors were established in most Western democracies (MSI fading out).

30. Figure 1: Changing Cleavages and the New Radical Right
Source: Michael Minkenberg, The New Right in Comparative Perspective: the USA and Germany. Ithaca, NY: Cornell University, 1993, p. 15

31. Figure 2: Xenophobia in Europe (Data from the European Value Survey EVS 1999 and 2008)
Source: Michael Minkenberg, “Die europäische radikale Rechte und Fremdenfeindlichkeit in Ost und West: Trends, Muster und Herausforderungen”; in: Ralf Melzer und Sebastian Serafin (eds.), Rechtsextremismus in Europa. Berlin: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, 2013, pp. 9-35
Note: a respondent in this survey is categorized as “xenophobic” when he/she mentioned at least one of the categories: “Muslims”, “Immigrants” or “People of a Different Race” in response to the question “Could you please sort out any that you would not like to have as neighbors?“ (EVS, 1999)
Source: European Value Survey, 1999: Questionnaire 1999, in: Nov. 2011

32. The New Right intellectual movement
The New Right intellectual movement * a counter-discourse to the “ideas of 1968“ * a metapolitical strategy (to establish “cultural hegemony“) * an ideology of “ethnopluralism“
In the United States:
Institute for Cultural Conservatism (Paul Weyrich)
In Great Britain:
Salisbury Review
In France:
G.R.E.C.E. (Groupement de recherches et d'études pour la civilisation européenne; Alain de Benoist)
Club de l‘Horloge (Jean Yves Le Gallou et al.)
Magazins Nouvelle École, and éléments
In Germany:
Criticón (Armin Mohler)
Junge Freiheit
Thule Seminar in Kassel (Pierre Krebs)

33. Forschungs- und Lehrgemeinschaft für die indoeuropäische Kultur e.V.

36. Party Messages: Front national

37. 2011ff.: a new Front national?

38. The new ultranationalism: the Netherlands

39. The new ultranationalism: the Alpine republics
„Stop mass immigration“
SVP in Switzerland
„Our country for our children“
FPÖ in Austria

40. ... and in Germany “Germany for us Germans!“ “A safe trip home!“
NPD in Germany
“Red Card for Merkel“
„Asylum needs borders!“ AfD

41. PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident)
PEGIDA (Patriotic Europeans Against the Islamization of the Occident)

42. Table 3: Dominant Actors of the Radical Right in Western Europe (since 1990s): Austria (A), Belgium (B), France (F), Germany (D), Great Britain (GB), Italy (I), the Netherlands (NL)
Source: country chapters in: Bertelsmann Stiftung (2009), updated by author
Note: Parties with sustained electoral relevance and/or government participation are in bold.
Party/campaign organization
Social Movement Organization (SMO)
Sub-cultural milieu
Extremist right
(fascist-autocratic/ anti-democratic right)
NPD/DVU (D)
NA/NNP/NVU (NL)
MSI/AN (pre ´95)(I)
MSFT (I)
BNP (GB)
ANS/FAP, NPD (D) 
FANE (F)
ANS/JSN (NL)
Neonazis (all)
Skinheads (all)
Blood and Honour (all)
Kameradschaften (D)
NSU (D)
Stormfront Netherlands
Dansk Front (DK)
FNE (F)
Ethnocentrist right
(racist or ethnocentrist right but excluding fascism)
Vlaams Blok/Belang (B)
Centrumdemocraten(NL)
Republikaner (D)
Front National (F)
DF (DK)
Lega Nord (I)
FPÖ (A)
ANS/FAP (D)
NPD/DVU (D-East)
Arhus against the Mosque (DK)
The New Right
PEGIDA
GUD (F)
Populist authoritanrian right
(typically with strong and charismatic leader and diffuse program)
List Pim Fortuyn (NL)
PvV (NL)
BZÖ (A)
MSI/AN (mid-90s) (I)
[FI (I)]
AfD
CP’86 (NL)
Religious- fundamentalist right
(including ethnocentrism)
CCS (F)
New Era (DK)
Abbreviations/Translations:
AN: Alleanza Nazionale (National Alliance)
ANS: Aktionsfront Nationale Sozialisten (Action Front of National Socialists)
BNP: British National Party
BZÖ Bündnis Zukunft Österreiches (Alliance for the Future of Austria)
CCS: Comités Chrétienité-Solidarité (Committees Christianity-Solidarity)
DF: Dansk Folkepartiet (Danish People’s Party)
DVU: Deutsche Volksunion (Germam People’s Union)
FANE: Fédération Action National-Européen (Federation of National-European Action)
FAP: Freiheitliche Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (Free German Workers Party)
FNE: Faisceaux nationalistes européennes ((European National Fascists)
FPÖ: Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (Freedom Party of Austria)
GUD: Groupe Union Defense (Union Defense Group)
JSN Jeudg Storm Nederland, Stormfront (Netherlands Youth Storm)
MSI: Movimento Sociale Italiano (Italian Social Movement)
MS-FT: Movimento Sociale Fiamma Tricolore (Social Movement – Tricolore Flame)
NA Nationale Alliantie (National Alliance)
NNP Nieuwe Nationale Partij (New National Party)
NPD: Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschland (National Democratic Party of Germany)
NSU Nationalsozialistischer Untergrund (National Socialist Underground)
NVU Nederlandse Volksunie (Dutch People’s Union)
PvV Partij voor de Vrijheid (Party of Freedom)

43. Table 4: Radical Right Election Results (in %) in National Parliamentary Elections in Western Europe, from 1980 (average per 5 years, chamber of deputies)
1980-
1984
1985-
1989
1990-
1994
1995-
1999
Austria (A)
Belgium (B)
Denmark (DK)
France (F)
Germany (Fed. Rep.)(D)
Great Britain (GB)
Italy (I)
Netherlands (NL)
Norway (N)
Sweden (S)
Switzerland (CH)
5.0
1.1
6.4
0.4
0.2
-.-
6.8
0.8
4.5
3.8
9.7
1.7
6.9
9.9
0.6
5.9
0.7
8.4
6.3
19.6
6.6
12.7
2.3
0.9
18.0
2.9
6.0
4.0
11.9
24.4
10.9
9.8
14.9
3.3
25.8
15.3
18.7
10.0
13.8
12.6
12.4
1.0
4.3*
11.4
14.7
1.5
26.6
28.3
14.0
13.9
4.7
2.1
8.3*
22.5
3.0
30.0
24.0
5.8
12.3
13.6
1.8
4.1*
16.3
9.3
The following parties are included:
Austria: FPÖ, BZÖ; Belgium: Vlaams Blok, Front National; Denmark: Fremskridtsparti, Dansk Folkeparti; France: Front National, Mouvement National Républicain; Germany: Republikaner, DVU, NPD, Pro Deutschland; Great Britain: British National Party, National Front, Democratic Unionist Party; Italy: Movimento Sociale Italiano, Alleanza Nazionale, Movimento Sociale- Fiamma Tricolore, Lega Nord; Netherlands: Center Party, Centrum Democrats, List Pim Fortuyn, Party of Freedom; Norway: Fremskrittsparti; Sweden: Ny Demokrati, Sverigedemokraterna, Nationaldemokraterna; Switzerland: Schweizer Volkspartei-Union Démocratique du Centre; Autopartei, Schweizer Demokraten, Lega dei Ticinesi.
*) excluding AN, but including Lega Nord, Movimento Sociale Fiamma Tricolore, Mussolini, Rauti

44. Table 5: Party Strength and Movement Strength of the Radical Right and Context Factors in Western Europe (ca. 2000)
Culture
Structure
Actor 1a 1b 1c 1d 1e 2a 2b 2c 2d
Party Strength
Movement Strength
Austria
0.5 1
HIGH
LOW
France
Italy
Denmark
MEDIUM
Norway
n.d.
Switzerland 10
Belgium
HIGH-MED.
Netherlands
Germany(West)
Germany (East)
United Kingdom
Sweden
Context Factors
Factor 1: Culture
1a nation type: ethno-cultural nation 1, political nation 0
1b share of foreign-born population: 1 high, 0 low
1c level of resistance to multicultural society: 1 above EU level, 0 below EU level
1d predominant religious tradition: Catholic 1, Protestant 0
1e Islam: second largest religion 1, other 0
Factor 2: Structure
2a Cleavages: convergence 1, polarization 0
2b cleavages: strong New Politics voting, 1 weak 0
2c political opportunity structures: state and parties’ latitude 1, exclusion/repression 0
2d political opportunity structures: PR electoral system 1, majority 0
Sources: see Minkenberg (2008)

45. Table 6: Religious Diversity and Pluralization Trends in Western Europe (1980-2000)
Weak Pluralization
(d< 0.10)
Moderate Pluralization
( )
Strong Pluralization
(d> 0.20)
Low level diversity (<0.20)
Ireland
Portugal
(Sweden: d=negative)
Belgium
Denmark
Finland
Norway
France
Italy
Austria
Spain
Moderate diversity
( )
High level diversity (>0.50)
Switzerland
Germany
Great Britain
Netherlands
The base of categorization is the diversity value of 1980 (0: completely homogenous, 1.00: completely diverse);
d = difference of diversity value between 1980 and 2000 (trend).
In underlined countries, Islam is the second largest religious community.
Countries in bold:
a strong radical right-wing party (at least 5% in every national election in the past 20 years).

46. Transition…

47. III. The development of the radical right in Eastern Europe and its regional specifics

48. Table 7: Summary Overview of Dominant Actors of the Radical Right in Selected Central and Eastern European Countries: Bulgaria (BG), Hungary (H), Latvia (LV), Poland (PL), Romania (RO), Slovak Republic (SR)
Party/campaign organization
Social Movement Organization (SMO)
Sub-cultural milieu
Extremist right
(fascist-autocratic right, often incl. racism or xenophobia))
Ataka (BG)
Jobbik (H)
SNS (SR)
Kotleba (SR)
PRM (RO)
NOP, ONR
PWN-PSN(PL)
Magyar Garda (H)
NSS (SR)
SNJ (SR)
Neonazis (all)
Skinheads (all)
Blood and Honour (all)
Ethnocentrist right
(racist or xenophobic right but excluding fascism)
KPN-SN (PL)
MIÉP (H)
VL (LV)
Radio Maryja (PL)
MÖM (H)
VR (RO)
Noua Dreapta (RO)
MS (SR)
Populist-authoritarian right
(typically with strong and charismatic leader and diffuse program)
Samoobrona (PL)
[PiS (PL)]
[FIDESZ (H)]
[HZDS (SR)]
Zwiazek Samoobrona (PL)
Religious-fundamentalist right( incl.xenophobia)
ZChN (PL)
LPR (PL)
KDNP (H)
All-Polish Youth
Abbreviations:
ONR: Obóz Narodowo-Radikalny (National-Radical Camp)
NOP: Narodowe Odrodzenie Polski (Polish National Rebirth)
PiS Prawo i Sprawiedliwość (Law and Justice)
PWN-PSN: Polska Wspólnota Narodowa: Polskie Stronnictwo Narodowe (Polish Natl. Union)
PRM: Partidul Romania Mare (Party for Greater Romania)
SNJ: Slovenská Národná Jednota (Slovak National Union)
SNS Slovenská Národná Strana (Slovak National Party)
VL Visu Latvijai! (All for Latvia!)
VR Vatra Romaneasca (Romanian Cradle)
ZChN: Zjednoczenie Chrześcijańsko Narodowe (Christian National Union)
FIDESZ (Hungarian Civic Union)
HZDS: Hnutie za demokratické Slovensko (Movement for a democratic Slovakia)
KPN-SN Konfederacja Polski Niepodleglej (Confederation for an Independent Poland)
KDNP Kereszténydemokrata Néppárt (Christian Democratic Party)
LPR Liga Polskich Rodzin (League of Polish Families)
MIÉP Magyar Igazság és Élet Pártja (Hungarian Justice and Life Party)
MÖM Magyar Önvédelmi Mozgalom (Hungarian Self-Defense Movement)
MS Matica Slovenska (a cultural association for language and culture)
NSS Nové Slobodne Slovensko (New Free Slovakia)

49. Major contrasts: The East European radical right is characterized by
1. more ideological extremism than in the West,
2. more fluidity in organizational and electoral terms,
3. a larger discrepancy between mobilization potential and electoral results in the East.

50. Table 8: Radical Right Election Results (in %) in National Parliamentary Elections in East Central Europe, from 1990 (average per 5 years, chambers of deputies)
Poland (PL)
Bulgaria (BG)
Romania (RO)
Slovak Republic (SR)
Slovenia (SV)
Czech Republic (CS)
Hungary (H)
Latvia (LV)
14.1 --
5.8
5.4
n.d.
6.8**
0.8
8.0*
9.2
9.1
6.0
5.5
18.1
20.9
7.0
4.4
1.1
4.5
10.4
8.7
3.1
11.7
1.7
1.5
0.0
5.9
1.2
1.8
18.5
10.8
The following parties are included: Poland: KPN, ZChN, LPR, Samoobrona; Bulgaria: Ataka; Romania: PUNR, PRM; Slovakia: SNS; Slovenia SNS; Czech Rep. SPR-RSČ, Workers Party; Hungary: MIÉP, Jobbik. Latvia: All for Latvia (2006), National Alliance (All for Latvia + For Fatherland and Freedom/LNNK , in 2010: 7.8, 2011: 13.9)
*) estimated proportion of ZChN and KPN, which ran on a common ticket with electoral alliance Solidarnosc AWS in 1997 (vote share 33.8%)
**) Czech National Council
Sources: see table 1 (updated)

51. Figure 2: Xenophobia in Europe (Data from the European Value Survey EVS 1999 and 2008)
Source: Michael Minkenberg, “Die europäische radikale Rechte und Fremdenfeindlichkeit in Ost und West: Trends, Muster und Herausforderungen”; in: Ralf Melzer und Sebastian Serafin (eds.), Rechtsextremismus in Europa. Berlin: Friedrich Ebert Stiftung, 2013, pp. 9-35
Note: a respondent in this survey is categorized as “xenophobic” when he/she mentioned at least one of the categories: “Muslims”, “Immigrants” or “People of a Different Race” in response to the question “Could you please sort out any that you would not like to have as neighbors?“ (EVS, 1999)
Source: European Value Survey, 1999: Questionnaire 1999, in: Nov. 2011

52. Table 9: Index Scores for Anti-Semitism in Europe (2014): percent anti-Semitic (ADL Scores)
Poland 45
Estonia 22
Hungary 41
Czech Republic 13
Slovakia
n.d.
Bulgaria 44
Romania 35
Eastern Europe Ø 34
Germany 27
Austria 28
France 37
Great Britain 8
Spain 29
Western Europe Ø 24
Source: (access June 22, 2015)

53. Major contrasts: The East European radical right is characterized by
1. more ideological extremism than in the West,
2. more fluidity in organizational and electoral terms,
3. a larger discrepancy between mobilization potential and electoral results in the East.
4. more permeable borders
between radical right movements and radical right parties, and
between the radical right and the mainstream right.

54. continuing nation-building by the states (“the nationalizing state”),
Brubakers “tradic nexus” in post-socialist nations in Central and Eastern Europe = an intersection of
continuing nation-building by the states (“the nationalizing state”),
the existence of national minorities within these, and
the existence of “external homelands”.
-> Rogers Brubaker, Nationalism Reframed. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1997

56. Slovak National Party Oldest Party in Slovakia (1871 – 1938, 1989 – …)
Leaders: Jan Slota ( , )
Andrej Danko (since 2012)
Government Participation
Not in Parliament
Billboard in Source: (May 1, 2016)
(May 1, 2016)
Billboard in the Winter election campaign of Source: (May 1, 2016)

57. Kotleba – People’s Party Our Slovakia
- anti-democratic
anti-EU, anti-NATO
for a national militia to protect “ethnic Slovaks”
anti-minorities (Hungarian, Roma)
builds on legacy of anti-democratic leaders A. Hlinka and J.Tiso ( )

62. Radical Right Success (2000 – 2015) No yes
Table 10: Ethnic Pluralization and the Radical Right in Eastern Europe ( )
Radical Right Success (2000 – 2015) No
yes
Ethnic Homogeneity
(1990 –2015,
see Table 10)
Decline
Bulgaria
Hungary
Slovakia
Equal
Romania
Poland
Increase
Czech Republic
Estonia
Lithuania
Latvia
Notes:
Decline: ethnic homogeneity is more than 3% down from the 1990s census.
Increase: ethnic homogeneity is more than 3% up from the 1990s census.
Equal: ethnic homogeneity stays within the range of plus/minus 3% between the two data points.
Radical right success is measured here by a radical right party obtaining at least 5% of the vote in at least three national parliamentary elections between 1995 until 2015.
Source:
Michael Minkenberg, The Radical Right in Eastern Europe. Democracy Under Siege? New York: Palgrave 2017 (in print).

63. Countries with strong RR movement sector Poland Romania Slovakia
Table 11: Strength of radical right-wing movements in Central and Eastern Europe (pre-2004–2014)
pre-2004
2014
Countries with strong RR movement sector
Poland
Romania
Slovakia
Hungary
Czech Republic
Latvia
Countries with moderately strong RR movement sector
Bulgaria
Lithuania
Countries with weak RR movement sector
Estonia
Source: Michael Minkenberg (ed.), Transforming the Transformation? The East European Radical Right in the Political Process. London: Routledge,

64. IV. The radical right’s interaction with the “mainstream”

65. Table 12: The Radical Right in European National Governments
Country
Party
Period
Coalition partners
WEST
Austria
FPÖ
BZÖ
ÖVP (CD/conservative)
ÖVP
Denmark
DF*
Support for minority government of Venstre (liberal) and Conservative People’ Party (cons.)
Italy LN
1994
FI (neoliberal populist) and AN (radical right)
FI and AN (conservative), UDC (Christian Dem.)
People of Freedom (FI, AN and 2 CD Parties)
Netherlands
LPR
PVV
Christian Democrats and Liberals
Norway
FrP
2013-?
Høyre (conservative)
Switzerland
SVP
2004-?
SPS (socialist), FDP (liberal), CVP (CD)
EAST
Bulgaria
Ataka*
Support of minority government of GERB (center-right/nationalist)
Support of minority coalition government of BSP (socialist) and DPS (Turkish minority party)
Latvia
National Alliance
2014-
Unity (center-right), RP (center right)
Unity (center-right), ZZS (green-agrarian)
Hungary
FIDESZ**
MDF, FKGP (agrarian, bourgeois) – MIÉP in opposition
KDNP (christian-democrat)
no coalition partner – Jobbik in opposition)
KDNP (CD) – Jobbik in opposition
Poland
Samoobrona
PiS**
2015-?
PiS (ultraconservative and populist)
Romania
PUNR
PRM
1995
PDSR (diffuse) and PSM (social populist)
PDSR and PSM
Slovakia
SNS ?
HZDS (populist) and ZRS (communist)
HZDS and Smer (social democrat)
Smer, Most-Híd, Network
*) not part of a coalition but supporting a minority government **) not radical right but national-conservative/right-wing populist; Sources: Akkerman (2012), Mudde (2007: 280, 2011: 14), amended and updated by own research

66. Table 13: The radical right in Eastern Europe: Patterns of interaction in selected arenas (post-2000)
Country
Party-Movement Relationship
Counter-mobilization (strength)
Mainstream parties’ strategy towards RR party
The state
Poland
complementary
medium
cooperation
lenient
Slovakia
antagonistic
weak
containment
Czech Rep.
demarcation
repression
Hungary
medium-strong
cooptation
Lithuania
Latvia
Estonia
Romania
complementary/
church as ally
lenient, containment (PRM)
Bulgaria
Source: own compilation, based on country and comparative chapters in Minkenberg, ed. Transforming the Transformation? The East European Radical Right in the Political Process (Routledge 2015).

67. Table 14: The radical right in Eastern Europe: impact in selected arenas (post-2000)
COUNTRY
Party (P)-Movement (M) Relationship
Right-wing violence
Right-wing Radicalism in Public Discourse*
Mainstream parties
Policy making
Poland
M replacing P +
expansion
radicalization of mainstream right
marginal shift ( )
Slovakia
P dominant
+/–
selective radicalization of the coalition partners
shift to right
Czech Rep.
M dominant
radicalization
insignificant
Hungary
P guiding M
expansion and radicalization
Lithuania –
marginal shift
Latvia
indeterminate
Estonia
Romania
expansion and radicalization
Bulgaria
radicalization of the mainstream right
Note: *) Expansion: Increase in the amount of radical right framing in public discourse toward new or existing policy fields; Radicalization: Ideological radicalization of framing in existing policy fields
Source: own compilation, based on country and comparative chapters in Minkenberg (2015).

70. Table 15: Right-wing Radical Party Alliances in the European Parliament (Requirenments: at least 25 MEPs from at least 25% of Member States)
Period
Alliance
Partner
Parl. Group of the European Right
FN, MSI et al.
Technical Group of the European Right
(1991 collapse after implosion of Republikaner)
FN, VB, Republikaner
---
Technical Group of Independent Deputies (TDI)
FN, VB, MS-FT, et al.
Parl. Group Identity, Tradition, Soveraignty (ITS)
(after 15. Jan following EU accession of Bulgaria and Romania, collapsed in Nov after PRM exit in in reaction to Mussolini‘s anti-Romanina remarks)
FN, VB, FPÖ, Ataka, PRM,
A. Mussolini
Parl. Group Europe of Nations and Freedom (ENF)
FN, PVV, VB, FPÖ, LN, KNP, AfD et al.
Underlined parties: leading parties
Party in bold: strongest party group

71. Conclusions: Convergence?

72. Conclusions: Convergence?
Common Trend: Right-ward shifts in East and West:
More voting support
More Islam-bashing and anti-semitism
More government participation
More policy impact in “sensitive areas” (immigration/minorities, law and order, EU)

73. Conclusions: Convergence?
Common Trend: Right-ward shifts in East and West:
More voting support
More Islam-bashing and anti-semitism
More government participation
More policy impact in “sensitive areas” (immigration/minorities, law and order, EU)
BUT:
No convergence across Europe, because:
Patterns of differences persist
In the West
RR parties less extreme ideologically
not outright anti-democratic
not oriented at interwar fascist or right-wing ideologies

74. Conclusions: Convergence?
Common Trend: Right-ward shifts in East and West:
More voting support
More Islam-bashing and anti-semitism
More government participation
More policy impact in “sensitive areas” (immigration/minorities, law and order, EU)
BUT:
No convergence across Europe, because:
Patterns of differences persist
In the West
RR parties less extreme ideologically
not outright anti-democratic
not oriented at interwar fascist or right-wing ideologies
In the East
Return of interwar ideologies, symbols, “heroes” (Dmowski, Hlinka etc.)
Territorial irredentism continues
More militia and movement mobilization in the East than in the West
No “cordon sanitaire”

75. Conclusions: Convergence?
Common Trend: Right-ward shifts in East and West:
More voting support
More Islam-bashing and anti-semitism
More government participation
More policy impact in “sensitive areas” (immigration/minorities, law and order, EU)
BUT:
No convergence across Europe, because:
Patterns of differences persist
In the West
RR parties less extreme ideologically
not outright anti-democratic
not oriented at interwar fascist or right-wing ideologies
In the East
Return of interwar ideologies, symbols, “heroes” (Dmowski, Hlinka etc.)
Territorial irredentism continues
More militia and movement mobilization in the East than in the West
No “cordon sanitaire”
Democracy in Danger: more in the East than in the West…?

76. Auf Wiedersehen!

78. Thank you for your attention!