The Roots of Europe's Right-Wing Resurgence

Alpha
Dec 4, 2023
6 min read

Updated: Oct 1, 2024

Over the last couple of decades, the support for right-wing extremist ideologies has spread like wildfire over Europe. Countries such as Italy, Poland, France, and Portugal have not only seen a rise in the public’s support for their extremist, and often time fascist, parties, but there has also been a rise in the proliferation of the parties themselves. The factors which have led to this worrying development are as vast as they are complex. Nevertheless, as a more in-depth look of on of the topics from last weeks blog [1], we at Politdigm felt that we could offer a comprehensive breakdown of the most common and present reasons which have resulted in the resurgence of extreme right-wing political views on the European political stage.

The Internet

Within all of the technological developments of the last fifty years, few have become as powerful, dangerous, and present in our day-to-day lives as the internet. In our modern era, one must only press a couple of buttons and type on digital keys to be offered a plethora of results, almost regardless of what is searched. But said outcome can be as damaging as beneficial. For in our modern era, truth has become an ever-fleeting commodity, as millions tune into the personal truths of a select few. The proliferation of social media platforms has only worsened this predicament, as individuals, now more than ever, can find other people or groups whose ideologies align with their own. This can be one of the many beauties of the digital world, but it can also result in further radicalization, as ideologies morph and evolve in a closed environment with little to no outside intervention. A glaring example can be found in the incel communities and the radicalization of their members, which was covered in one of our articles [2].

A Culture of Fear

One of the most common ways to radicalize a population is to tell them that they have something to fear. By appointing a scapegoat, the losses and hardships felt by a group, community, or even nation can be directed and blamed on “them”. In the last few years, this method has been used without fault by the right-wing parties of European countries. As more and more emigrants attempt to flee brutal living conditions, oppressive governments, or, more recently, war, the extremist parties of the nations in which these refugees seek shelter have set out in relentless campaigns of hate. Another group that has been in the cross-hairs of these parties is the LGBTQ+, as a rise in hate towards queer people, especially those of the trans community, has been an all too common trend.

At the crux, these strategies work because they allow a large populace to channel their discontent at their current living predicament towards a supposed “greater evil”. But a case also is made for those who create a supposed problem to rally the people for support. The all too common idea that migrants have come to “take away our jobs and women'' is an all too xenophobic and misogynistic one, with no actual basis in hard evidence [3]. However, rallying cries that champion the strengthening of a supposed cultural identity and the expulsion of these minorities as a means to supposedly strengthen the country's culture and economy are ever present as one of the pillars of these right-wing parties.

Misinformation

Tying in with the last two topics comes the major tool that any extremist and even authoritarian movement uses: misinformation and controlled ignorance. As history demonstrated time and time again, more recently with the rise of the European parties in the early 20th century, the destruction of information, a ruling over the distribution of information, and a tight grip over the knowledge of the common citizen has led to hundreds of thousands aligning with parties whose views they might disagree on a fundamental level, if given the proper tools for information. From the book burning in Nazi Germany to the propaganda campaigns in Italy governed by Mussolini and more recently, the censorship led by the Portuguese Dictatorship which only ended in 1974.

It goes without saying that by controlling the information that is available to the public, those in power can weave the narratives necessary to keep a population's ideals and beliefs shackled to what most benefits them. To a lesser extent, this can be seen in the strategies of the far right. One needs only to look at the COVID-19 pandemic to see the extent how which misinformation can be weaponized by a political party or a body of government. It took only an idea of distrust planted by (mostly conservative) public figures, to see a rise in disbelief when it came to the existence of a pandemic that affected millions and whose consequences are still felt.

By leading a populace to believe that the information given to them by reputable sources is not worthy of confidence, this also leads to a distrust of established systems as a whole. It has become a habit of these right-wing groups to disclaim science, whilst providing either their version of the information or while presenting one supposed expert to debunk a whole field. From climate change to vaccines, history, and even our planet’s shape, the number of established facts that have been targeted by misinformed groups, rivals only the lack of information that these groups possess.

This is once again exacerbated by our modern digital world. As people’s beliefs are splayed out for algorithms to decode, they are provided with content that engages, not content that represents the truth. As such, this leads both sides of a misinformed crowd to believe that the other is the one whose information is missing, creating an atmosphere of division that all but favors those who aim to establish division.

Strategies

As seen throughout this article, one of the most determining tools used in the rise of right-wing extremism is that of controlling and divulging misinformation. As such the best tool which can be used to prevent the rise of these ideologies is to seek both sides of an argument and attempt to get informed. In our current world in which information is manipulated, a source’s credibility can be extremely dubious. As such, searching and learning the perspectives of both sides of an argument can help to offer a clearer starting point from which one can solidify their ideologies.

Conclusion

The last century was marked by one of the worst atrocities committed by humankind. As the world attempted to heal, democratic powers came to the helm of nations torn asunder by war and vowed to never again. In the shadows, tatters of the fascist movements persisted and regained strength, but they were almost ignored, for it was ludicrous that after the events of the first half of the century, these ideologies could remain in our world. But time passed, and those in power failed their people. And so these all but banished movements reformed and regained a fraction of their power, a fraction to many. Now we have a crisis.

More and more countries are seeing the rise of extremist and fascist parties that prey on the unhappiness of their populations and launch campaigns of lies and deceit to gain power. We are suffering the consequences of the failures of the generations that came before us and are risking failing in the hands of those who destroyed the generation before them. There is an ideological war for the peace of our modern world and each and every one of us must fight. Fight by learning, talking, discussing, and debating these all to present ideologies that still cling to our societies like leeches. It is by learning and expanding our horizons that we can do what those before us didn’t and make our world better.

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