The european Far righT: hisTorical and conTemporary perspecTives

The report analyzes the resurgence of the far right in Europe, arguing that 'mainstream' and 'extremism' are not opposites but exist on a volatile continuum. It provides case studies on parties such as the Front National in France, Golden Dawn in Greece, and Jobbik in Hungary, examining how they leverage crises—economic, political, or social—to gain legitimacy. The text highlights a trend of 'mainstreaming,' where extreme right ideas are adopted by centrist parties, and explores the role of leadership and organizational strategy in the growth of these movements.

• The distinction between the 'mainstream' and 'extreme' right is often a fragile boundary, as far-right ideologies frequently represent a "radicalization of mainstream views" rather than a complete divergence from them.
• The electoral growth of far-right parties in Europe from the early 1980s to 2015 has been consistent, with the average vote share increasing from barely 1 per cent to approximately 7 per cent, particularly accelerating after 2000.
• In Greece, the Golden Dawn is characterized as a neo-Nazi party that achieved success by offering a "nationalist solution" to a combined economic, political, and ideological crisis of democracy.
• The French Front National has undergone a process of 'mainstreaming' under Marine Le Pen, which involves 'modernisation' and the adaptation of left-wing ideas, such as 'economic patriotism,' to broaden its appeal.
• In Germany, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) and Pegida have capitalized on the refugee crisis to repoliticize non-economic issues, with the AfD's ratings increasing to 8 per cent in October 2015 due to the refugee policy debate.
• Hungary's Jobbik party is distinguished from Western European far-right parties by its historical pro-Muslim stance, driven by pan-Turanian ideology and anti-Semitic goals, and its success in recruiting young, urban, middle-class voters.
• The far right in Cyprus, specifically ELAM, remains electorally marginal because the mainstream right-wing party, DISY, effectively occupies the same nationalist and exclusive ideological space.
• In Italy, the Northern League (Lega Nord) has shifted from a regionalist movement to a broader far-right force, forming alliances with neofascist groups like CasaPound and following the strategic lead of the French Front National.

APA

Charalambous, G., Halikiopoulou, D., Kallis, A., Kemper, A., Mammone, A., Mondon, A., Szabados, K., & Vasilopoulou, S. (2015). The european Far righT: hisTorical and conTemporary perspecTives. Peace Research Institute Oslo. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1f21ec0c-1e11-48eb-aeb6-a364e850b07d/Far Right Report.pdf?inline=true

Chicago

Charalambous, Giorgos, Daphne Halikiopoulou, Aristotle Kallis, Andreas Kemper, Andrea Mammone, Aurelien Mondon, Krisztian Szabados, and Sofia Vasilopoulou. The european Far righT: hisTorical and conTemporary perspecTives. Peace Research Institute Oslo, 2015. https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1f21ec0c-1e11-48eb-aeb6-a364e850b07d/Far Right Report.pdf?inline=true.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Charalambous |first1=Giorgos |last2=Halikiopoulou |first2=Daphne |last3=Kallis |first3=Aristotle |last4=Kemper |first4=Andreas |last5=Mammone |first5=Andrea |last6=Mondon |first6=Aurelien |last7=Szabados |first7=Krisztian |last8=Vasilopoulou |first8=Sofia |title=The european Far righT: hisTorical and conTemporary perspecTives |publisher=Peace Research Institute Oslo |date=2015 |url=https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1f21ec0c-1e11-48eb-aeb6-a364e850b07d/Far Right Report.pdf?inline=true |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{charalambous2015european, author = {Charalambous, Giorgos and Halikiopoulou, Daphne and Kallis, Aristotle and Kemper, Andreas and Mammone, Andrea and Mondon, Aurelien and Szabados, Krisztian and Vasilopoulou, Sofia}, title = {{The european Far righT: hisTorical and conTemporary perspecTives}}, institution = {Peace Research Institute Oslo}, year = {2015}, url = {https://cdn.cloud.prio.org/files/1f21ec0c-1e11-48eb-aeb6-a364e850b07d/Far Right Report.pdf?inline=true}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }