Strategies to overcome left- and right-wing-extremismWorkshop

Prof. Dr. Florian Hartleb International University of Executive Management Berlin Head of the Institute for Political Management 20 July 2010 

Definition• extremism: - common core, both left and right• principles: - against the values of liberal

democracy; opposite• features: - thinking in categories such as friend-

enemy-pattern - dogmatism - theories of conspiracy - illusion of a future in harmony

(“a better world”) - strong leadership - collectivism instead of

individualism

April 22, 2023Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and

right-wing extremism

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Radical right-wing parties in Europe • Anti-party parties• since the 1980s with an anti-establishment-position

and taboo-breaking protest subjects• over and over again election success on national

level, thus in France, Austria, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Scandinavia

• individual abilities of a charismatic leader such as Jörg Haider, Heinz-Christian Strache, Jean-Marie Le Pen, Silvio Berlusconi, Umberto Bossi, Pim Fortuyn, Geert Wilders, Carl Hagen, Pia Kjärsgaard or Christoph Blocher.

• also successful in Eastern Europe

April 22, 2023Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and

right-wing extremism

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Radical right-wing parties in Europe

•not very often: classical extremist parties•modernization process (accepting the rules of democracy)•populism and radicalism (not strict

extremism)•new factor extremism in classical style,

e.g. Jobbik in Hungary (Antisemitism; Roma phobia)

April 22, 2023Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and

right-wing extremism

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Radical right-wing parties in Europe•Topics: new rules (« democracy through

the people »)•Enemies: - people outside the nation

-Politics of exclusion - Islamphobia

- Romaphobia -Antisemitism

(“classical extremism”)

April 22, 2023Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and

right-wing extremism

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 Populist radical right wing parties in government •Austria (FPÖ, BZÖ): factor since 2000•Croatia (HDZ): 1990 – 2000•Estonia (ERSP): 1992-1995•Italy: LN (1994 and since 2001)•Poland: LPR (relevance 2006)•Serbia (SRS; 1998-2000)•Slovakia (SNS): relevance 2006•Switzerland

April 22, 2023Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and

right-wing extremism

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Centre- right strategies to overcome nationalism•coalition vs. cordon sanitaire•desillusion in responsibility? •Topics: islam, immigration, taboos in politics

•Question of leadership (charisma) 

April 22, 2023Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and

right-wing extremism

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Communism

•still a factor since 1990 •European left (trans-national cooperations)•internationalism•Marxist-leninist-parties•new factor: anti-globalization movement•idols: Fidel Castro, Hugo Chavez•special case: China•death of communism

April 22, 2023Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and

right-wing extremism

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Comparison of left- and right-wing extremism•authoritarism•criticism of liberal democracy •dogmatism•anti-globalization topics and movement

April 22, 2023Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and

right-wing extremism

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Five challengesdemand and supply side•rebuilding democratic systems: low turnout, decline of People´s parties, changing societies

•financial crisis (€uro-currency)•Islam (Migration topic) •question of leadership in Europe•vision of European Union

April 22, 2023Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and

right-wing extremism

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