HEAD ON FACING THE FAR RIGHT

The document analyzes the ascent of the far right, highlighting its use of 'metapolitics' to shift cultural norms and its ability to capitalize on economic and social insecurities. It examines specific national contexts, such as Italy's media capture under Giorgia Meloni and the rise of Vlaams Belang in Flanders, while warning against 'conservative socialism' where left-wing parties adopt far-right rhetoric. The report concludes that defeating the far right requires a positive, inclusive vision of the future rather than mere imitation or moral condemnation.

• The far right has successfully evolved to capitalize on socio-economic insecurities, including unemployment, healthcare, and housing crises, as well as the divide between urban elites and rural communities.
• Far-right success is driven by 'metapolitics'—the strategy of shaping cultural narratives and societal norms to make extreme policies, such as mass deportations, palatable before they are proposed politically.
• In Italy, the government of Giorgia Meloni has pursued a 'colonization' of the public sphere, specifically targeting the public broadcaster RAI to replace pluralism with a 'single narrative'.
• The far right's economic agenda is fragmented and lacks cohesion, ranging from 'welfare chauvinism' (supporting welfare only for natives) to unbridled free-market capitalism.
• A phenomenon termed 'conservative socialism' has emerged, where left-wing parties (such as the BSW in Germany or the BSP in Bulgaria) combine socialist economics with anti-immigration and socially conservative views.
• The far right uses 'the politics of the plate'—specifically framing lab-grown meat and insects as 'monstrous foods'—as symbolic icons in a culture war against the EU's Green Deal and 'global elites'.
• In Flanders, the party Vlaams Belang has transitioned from a marginalized group to a major force by polishing its communication style and utilizing social media to bypass traditional journalistic gatekeepers.
• The rise of ethnonationalism in Europe is linked to a 'provincialization' of the continent, where Europeans feel a loss of power and disorientation as the world shifts toward a multipolar order led by powers like China and India.
• In Georgia, the ruling Georgian Dream party has instrumentalized 'anti-gender' narratives and LGBTQIA+ issues to justify undermining public institutions and civil society.
• The far right employs a 'nasty style of politics' characterized by insults, name-calling, and the construction of enemies (such as 'liberal elites' or George Soros) to mobilize voters through negative emotions.

APA

Green European Journal (2024). HEAD ON FACING THE FAR RIGHT. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GEJ28_Web.pdf

Chicago

Green European Journal. HEAD ON FACING THE FAR RIGHT. 2024. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GEJ28_Web.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=Green European Journal |title=HEAD ON FACING THE FAR RIGHT |date=2024 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GEJ28_Web.pdf |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{greeneuropeanjournal2024head, author = {{Green European Journal}}, title = {{HEAD ON FACING THE FAR RIGHT}}, institution = {Green European Journal}, year = {2024}, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/GEJ28_Web.pdf}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }