The revival and spreading of far-right parties in Europe is one of the challenges our democracies have to face today.
Sketching out the history of the rise of the far-right throughout the years, Matthew Feldman, leading expert on fascist ideology and the contemporary far-right, argues that today far-right movements have managed to land in the mainstream political arena due to a reshaping of their outer appearance.
Adopting what he describes as “doublespeak”, far-right parties have reshaped their “front stage” appearance under the guise of moderation and reform while maintaining a “backstage” of extreme right activism. This ‘revamp’ the far-right has undergone is precisely what has allowed it to become mainstreamed.
The far-right poses a threat to the long term security of our liberal democracies, and it does so precisely because it tries to erode its foundations: tolerance, inclusiveness, human rights. In these delicate times, Feldman concludes, we need to remind ourselves that we are the guardians of said foundations, and reaffirm with pride our liberal democratic values in the face of the potential attacks to it that will come from within.
Matthew Feldman is Professor in the Modern History of Ideas at Teesside University (UK).He is an expert on fascist ideology and the contemporary far-right in Europe and the USA. He has written widely on these subjects, as well as on the interaction between politics and faith in the modern world.
Professor Feldman's biography
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