Divided in Unity: The Radical Right Agenda and Green Counterstrategy

The author argues that the European radical right is moving toward becoming a dominant political force by utilizing a 'common political playbook' of delegitimizing institutions and reforming state architecture to maintain power. This movement is characterized by opposition to minorities, migration, European integration, and 'gender ideology', with Russia and Turkey serving as strategic reference points. To counter this, the author proposes a three-part Green strategy: exposing the hypocrisy and foreign ties of nationalist movements, 'Europeanising' the Green movement to coordinate support across borders, and addressing the root causes of radical right popularity by championing progressive cultural identities and combating neoliberal economic precarity.

• The European radical right shares a core agenda focused on opposing minorities, migration, European integration, and 'gender ideology' (the emancipation of women and gender diverse people). While Western European movements prioritize opposition to the EU, those in post-communist Europe place more emphasis on the perceived threat of 'gender ideology'.
• Russia and Turkey are presented as models for the radical right; in both countries, the radical right entered broader center-right coalitions and subsequently 'hollowed out' those coalitions from within. Russia's government promotes a mix of illiberalism, conspiracism, and strict sovereignty that reinforces current radical right discourse in Europe.
• The radical right employs a specific tactical 'playbook' to gain and maintain power: first, slandering the free press, academia, and public broadcasting to neutralize criticism; second, enacting reforms to limit civil society and staff key positions with political allies; and finally, resorting to direct intimidation and physical violence once hegemony is achieved.
• Specific examples of these tactics include the use of the term 'Lügenpresse' (lying press) by PEGIDA in Germany, the Polish government's suppression of public broadcasting, and the 2012 change of Hungary's electoral system to benefit the Fidesz party.
• A proposed Green counterstrategy involves exposing the 'sham-patriotism' of the radical right by highlighting their foreign financial ties—such as Russian bank loans to France's Front National—and contrasting their rhetoric with actions that destroy national treasures, such as logging in Poland's Białowieża Forest.
• The author advocates for the 'Europeanisation' of the Green movement, suggesting that national Green parties should coordinate through the European Green Party (EGP) to build collective momentum and provide direct support to parties during crucial elections, such as the Austrian presidential election.
• To address the root causes of the radical right's rise, Greens should promote a progressive version of local and regional cultural identity (similar to the concept of 'Heimat') and highlight the link between neoliberal economic precarity and the emergence of xenophobic politics.

APA

Vasseur, T. (2016). Divided in Unity: The Radical Right Agenda and Green Counterstrategy. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/divided-in-unity-the-radical-right-agenda-and-green-counterstrategy/

Chicago

Vasseur, Tom. Divided in Unity: The Radical Right Agenda and Green Counterstrategy. Green European Journal, 2016. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/divided-in-unity-the-radical-right-agenda-and-green-counterstrategy/.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Vasseur |first1=Tom |title=Divided in Unity: The Radical Right Agenda and Green Counterstrategy |publisher=Green European Journal |date=2 November 2016 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/divided-in-unity-the-radical-right-agenda-and-green-counterstrategy/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{vasseur2016divided, author = {Vasseur, Tom}, title = {{Divided in Unity: The Radical Right Agenda and Green Counterstrategy}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2016}, month = nov, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/divided-in-unity-the-radical-right-agenda-and-green-counterstrategy/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }