Illustration by Abro
The 2010s witnessed a surge in the electoral fortunes of far-right parties in Europe. Most of these parties were once languishing on the fringes of mainstream politics. But in the past decade, many of them have greatly surpassed their previous electoral performance.
Recently, the far-right Brothers of Italy won a majority in general elections in Italy. The party is likely to form the new government. It will become the third far-right regime elected in Europe since 2010. The other two are in Hungary and Poland.
In April 2022, the presidential candidate of the far-right National Front in France bagged an impressive 41.45 percent of the total vote. In the September 2022 parliamentary elections in Sweden, the far-right Sweden Democrats won the second largest number of seats.
A change of tactics by far-right parties in Europe helped them break out from the fringes. Adopting populism was the tactic. Populism is often understood as a thin ideology. It borrows ideas from the more established ideologies of the left and the right to concoct alarming narratives. Such narratives portray a party as being the voice of the people.
The surge in far-right electoral fortunes in the 2010s was largely associated with the surge in the appeal of dedicated far-right parties. In some cases, however, its more moderate parties that have opportunistically veered towards far-right rhetoric
A populist poses as a warrior fighting against the corrupt, complacent and conniving elites. Populism enhances the threat of a crisis, warning of an impending breakdown.
European far-right groups increasingly began to style their politics in a populist manner. Their mission is to safeguard their regions Christian heritage, keep out immigrants and, of course, challenge the elites. They explain globalisation, multiculturalism and liberalism as attacks on the common (Caucasian) natives of Europe who, apparently, are being replaced by non-European races. But the surge in the electoral fortunes of far-right politics is not only associated with dedicated far-right parties.
In the US and, to a certain extent, in the UK, right-wing populist figures were able to infiltrate mainstream centre-right parties and push them further to the right. It is a curious case of entryism because the roots of entryism lie in the far-left tendencies of Marxism, such as Trotskyism.
In the early 1930s, the Marxist ideologue Leon Trotsky advised communists to dissolve their limited communist groups and infiltrate mainstream parties to change their ideological orientation. Entryism became a common communist tactic. But, as it became better known, many far-right groups started to practise it as well, infiltrating moderate right-wing parties in a bid to make them adopt far-right ideas.
For example, Donald Trump in the US was a political maverick who decided to contest Republican Party primaries for the 2016 presidential elections. To distinguish himself from the partys other hopefuls, Trump tapped into far-right emotions and narratives. This excited Republican Party supporters who had for long grumbled about the partys lukewarm stands on matters of race, religion and immigration. They saw in Trump a man who was willing to transcend the established conventions of old-style conservatism and blurt out populist takes on various issues, no matter how politically incorrect the takes were. He won.
Four years later, he failed to win a second term. But he was successful in radically refashioning the ideological orientation of the Republican Party, which now leans a lot more to the right. The same was the case with the UKs Conservative Party, when the eccentric populist Boris Johnson was able to push it towards becoming a more animated right-wing outfit.
In India, before Narendra Modi became prime minister, the mainstream Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had begun to distance itself from its far-right roots. Modi, a man who was still politically and emotionally attached to BJPs roots, has restored BJPs far-right/xenophobic demeanour.
Nevertheless, the surge in far-right electoral fortunes in the 2010s was largely associated with the surge in the appeal of dedicated far-right parties. Brazils Partido Social Liberal (PSL) is a non-European example and, to a certain extent, so is Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI). Yet, whereas PTI cannot be placed in the column of dedicated far-right parties, it can be compared with Hungarys ruling Fidesz party.
Fidesz emerged in 1988 as a centre-left outfit. It then began to move more to the centre. Unable to gain much electoral traction, it again shifted, but this time to the right. The party was able to somewhat increase its vote-bank in 1998. In the early 2000s, it was rocked by scandals, but the party decided to overcome this by forming an alliance with the right-wing Christian Democratic Peoples Party.
When issues such as immigration, globalisation, multiculturalism and the rise of Islamism surfaced across Europe, Fidesz found itself in an advantageous position to capitalise on these fears. The party took a populist turn by enhancing these fears and questioning liberalisms ability to safeguard Hungarys national identity and Christian heritage. It went on to win multiple elections between 2010 and 2022. It effectively turned Hungary into a conservative authoritarian state.
PTI was formed in 1995 as a centrist party. Some of its founders maintain that it was originally conceived as a left-wing outfit. They say, had this not been the case, the late Marxist Meraj Muhammad Khan would not have joined it in 1998. PTI remained on the fringes across the early 2000s, even though it began to shift to the right. This was mainly because of the influence of the mainstream Islamist party the Jamaat-i-Islami (JI), which PTIs chairman Imran Khan became an admirer of.
From 2007 onwards, Pakistans economy began to nosedive and Islamist violence grew manifold. Political turmoil saw the Musharraf dictatorship ousted in 2008 and the return of the countrys two main parties, the centre-right Pakistan Muslim League-Nawaz (PML-N) and the centre-left Pakistan Peoples Party (PPP). As Islamist violence escalated and the economy continued to decline, the military establishment aided PTI to fill what it claimed was a void.
The establishments reputation was scarred during Musharrafs later years when his double game of attacking one segment of extremists but nourishing others, began to trigger unprecedented Islamist violence. Khan and his PTI were propped to divert the attention away from the establishment towards the two mainstream parties. PTI turned populist and began to demonise PPP and PML-N. It then started to blame Islamist violence on the US.
By 2021, PTI (now as a ruling party) had increasingly adopted populism, bordering on the far-right. Despite being ousted in April 2022, PTIs slide into far-right territory has continued.
In Pakistans context, this means reinforcing Islamist points of view on various social issues, working towards gaining an electoral landslide so as to control all major centres of power in the country and establishing an authoritarian regime buttressed by engineered elections.
Published in Dawn, EOS, October 9th, 2022
Continued here:
SMOKERS' CORNER: THE RESURGENCE OF THE FAR-RIGHT - Newspaper - DAWN.COM - DAWN.com
- Manzi: Ducati teams wanted me to be disqualified, mistakes ... - Crash - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Today in History: July 24, Apollo 11 returns home from the moon - Plainview Daily Herald - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- McClellan: A trip to Scotland reveals a family motto that is just right - St. Louis Post-Dispatch - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- AMD CEO will consider other foundries besides Taiwan ... - Seeking Alpha - July 21st, 2023 [July 21st, 2023]
- Bill Maher Drools All Over Elon Musk in Softball Sitdown - The Daily Beast - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- QAnon's popularity has been fueled by the playful and participatory ... - LSE - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Its been rough, but we have to hang on - Santa Barbara News-Press - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Flamenco and a Venerated Teacher Return to Steps on Broadway - westsiderag.com - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- R.M.N. Director Cristian Mungiu on Xenophobia and the Dangers of Politically Correct Filmmaking - Hollywood Reporter - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- My baptism of fire into trucking - Big Rigs - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Sinicization of the Uyghurs in Xinjiang: An Indian View - Bitter Winter - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Diljit da jawab nahin: Why the munda made us go balle, balle - Times of India - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Why was Don Lemon fired by CNN? Veteran news anchor let go after 17 years - AS USA - April 30th, 2023 [April 30th, 2023]
- Agent Movie Review: A spy film that puts the fire in misfire - cinemaexpress - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Voice and Hammer - Longreads - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- This coronation is being styled in an apologetic tone - Reaction - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- 21 Comedy Movies That Were Ahead of Their Time - MovieWeb - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Remembering Barry Humphries, art lover, artist and creator of Dame ... - Art Newspaper - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Everything you need to know about the 2023 Met Gala... - Jordan News - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- 10 Sitcoms With Content That Hasn't Aged Well - Collider - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Things to do in Wilmington NC this weekend April 27-30 - StarNewsOnline.com - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Bill Maher Is Clueless About Chicago, Guns, and Poverty - The Daily Beast - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- 10 Best R-Rated Comedies of the 21st Century, Ranked - Collider - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Let's talk tachles: What do Olim truly think of Israel? - Ynetnews - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Parker: Tim Scott and American exceptionalism | News, Sports, Jobs - Daily Herald - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Letters: 'When I say my name is Karen, will others think I'm a b---h?' - National Post - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Chef Shannons Byron Bay boys-only bash - The Age - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan: Why Salman Khans lone superhero formula doesnt work for the masses anymore - The Indian Express - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- THE OTHER SIDE: They left the dogsThe Tucker Trump Show - theberkshireedge.com - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Kenny vs. Spenny: Iconic Canadian frenemies prove some things never change - Global News - April 29th, 2023 [April 29th, 2023]
- Politician who called herself 'mother of the politically incorrect ... - JTA News - Jewish Telegraphic Agency - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- CT man charged with threatening to kill Florida sheriff on 'hit list' for ... - Torrington Register Citizen - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- BROADWAY REVIEW: 'Peter Pan Goes Wrong' is a total blast; plus it ... - New York Daily News - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Harvard donor Ken Griffin's backing of DeSantis stirs predictable ... - The Boston Globe - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- TV shows to watch this week: 'West Wing' fans should rally around ... - Star Tribune - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Why Is It So Hard to Watch 'Friends' Now? - Collider - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Belinda Carlisle: Touring with Green Day was one big hot mess - NME - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Chinese scholars believe in gender equality - Times Higher Education - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Five Year Social Media Ban For Online Preacher - Vision Christian Media - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- A Toast to Tom Eating His Feelings on Succession - Vulture - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Turtle love and the messages of Roald Dahl - The Saturday Paper - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- New Book Offers the CATHOLIC Case for ID - Discovery Institute - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Roy Chubby Brown to play Hanley gig tonight despite calls for show to be cancelled - Stoke-on-Trent Live - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- 4 dead, 28 wounded at U.S. birthday party shooting - inform.kz/en - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- People protest for ban on assault weapons in Washington - Independent - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- The shadow of Xi Jinping, misinformation and hurt religious sentiments - Business Standard - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Night Jitters: TVs Late Crowd Grapples With Weakness in the Wee Hours - Variety - April 22nd, 2023 [April 22nd, 2023]
- Donald Trump called Chinese leader Xi Jinping a 'brilliant man' and said there is no one in Hollywood with the - Business Insider India - April 17th, 2023 [April 17th, 2023]
- /pol/ - Wikipedia - March 4th, 2023 [March 4th, 2023]
- The Top 20+ Questions on Politically Correct Terms [with Answers!] - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- 15 Very Politically Incorrect Things That Are Also Absolutely True ... - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- From Politically Correct To Cancel Culture, How Accountability ... - NPR - February 20th, 2023 [February 20th, 2023]
- Is ChatGPT Partisan? Poems About Trump And Biden Raise Questions About The AI Bots BiasHeres What Experts Think - Forbes - February 5th, 2023 [February 5th, 2023]
- NM Gov. Grisham calls for new gun control laws, citing recent ... - January 22nd, 2023 [January 22nd, 2023]
- What Does Woke Mean in Politics? - January 22nd, 2023 [January 22nd, 2023]
- Richard Barnett expected to testify in his trial - KATV - January 22nd, 2023 [January 22nd, 2023]
- Twitter suspends Babylon Bee over Rachel Levine 'Man of the Year' title - December 23rd, 2022 [December 23rd, 2022]
- The Taste With Vir: To blame or not to blame the Civil Aviation Ministry - Hindustan Times - December 23rd, 2022 [December 23rd, 2022]
- 'Yellowstone' Season 5, Episode 6 Recap: Jamie and Sarah Join Forces, Plan to Oust John as Governor - Entertainment Tonight - December 16th, 2022 [December 16th, 2022]
- Will Ferrell, Maya Rudolph, Nick Kroll and More Take The Hollywood Reporters Annual Comedy Survey - Hollywood Reporter - November 23rd, 2022 [November 23rd, 2022]
- Measuring Stakeholder Capitalism - The World Economic Forum - October 21st, 2022 [October 21st, 2022]
- Netanyahu memoir: Dems feeling more leftist pressure on Israel than they publicly admit - Forward - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Living Among Trolls: It's Orwellian, But It's Real - odishabytes - OdishaBytes - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- SMOKERS' CORNER: THE POLITICS OF TRANSGRESSION - Newspaper - DAWN.COM - DAWN.com - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- This Week in Lincolnville: Do the People Belong to the Land - PenBayPilot.com - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Meghan Markle and Harry blow as Americans back Kate and Prince William over Sussexes - Express - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Which side are you on, anyway? Rethinking academic freedom - University World News - October 17th, 2022 [October 17th, 2022]
- Politically Incorrect Canadian - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Our Unmad lives - The Business Standard - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Biden threatens 'consequences' against Saudi Arabia over OPEC oil production cuts, links with Russia - Must Read Alaska - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- 'Backsides' voted but fireworks are likely with one Hamilton councillor - Richard Swainson - Stuff - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Does it actually have an influence?: Expert weighs in PM Trudeaus viral bungee jump video - Yahoo News - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Jordan Hogg: In 15 years, Ive never come across another disabled director - The Guardian - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- The phenomenon of 'Hawa' vs 'Poran' - Dhaka Tribune - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Paddy Considine's filmography: What were the House of the Dragon actor's best works? - Bolavip - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- Word on the street: 'Never heard of him' - Aucklanders react to Brown mayoral win - Stuff - October 15th, 2022 [October 15th, 2022]
- QC The Producers revels in being politically incorrect - WHBF - OurQuadCities.com - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Interdependence as a weapon in the era of non-peace: Failure in Ukraine and danger in Taiwan - Atalayar - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- 'Ramy' Season 3 Review: Ramy Youssef's Comical, Rich Look At Muslim Family Life Is The Best One Yet - The Playlist - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]
- Rude Food by Vir Sanghvi: Colour and the chilli - Hindustan Times - October 2nd, 2022 [October 2nd, 2022]