Strategies to overcome left- and right-wing-extremism Workshop 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 6 October 2015Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and right- wing extremism 2
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 6 October 2015Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and right- wing extremism 3
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) 6 October 2015Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and right- wing extremism 4
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”) 6 October 2015Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and right- wing extremism 5
Populist radical right wing parties in government Austria (FPÖ, BZÖ): factor since 2000 Croatia (HDZ): 1990 – 2000 Estonia (ERSP): Italy: LN (1994 and since 2001) Poland: LPR (relevance 2006) Serbia (SRS; ) Slovakia (SNS): relevance 2006 Switzerland 6 October 2015Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and right- wing extremism 6
Centre- right strategies to overcome nationalism coalition vs. cordon sanitaire desillusion in responsibility? Topics: islam, immigration, taboos in politics Question of leadership (charisma) 6 October 2015Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and right- wing extremism 7
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 6 October 2015Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and right- wing extremism 8
Comparison of left- and right-wing extremism authoritarism criticism of liberal democracy dogmatism anti-globalization topics and movement 6 October 2015Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and right- wing extremism 9
Five challenges demand 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 6 October 2015Workshop: Strategies to overcome left and right- wing extremism 10