Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-hc48f Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T05:49:09.246Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The Two Faces of Radical Right-Wing Populism in Western Europe

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  05 August 2009

Hans-Georg Betz
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Extract

During the past several years, radical right-wing populist parties have made impressive electoral gains in a growing number of West European countries. Their dramatic surge to political prominence has obscured the fact that these parties hardly form a homogeneous party group. Generally, it is possible to distinguish between neo-liberal and national populist parties. Both types of parties are a response to the profound economic, social, and cultural transformation of advanced societies interpreted as a transition from industrial welfare to postindustrial individualized capitalism. National populist parties are primarily working-class parties which espouse a radically xenophobic and authoritarian program. Neoliberal parties appeal to a mixed social constituency and tend to stress the marketoriented, libertarian elements of their program over xenophobic ones. Rather than being mere short-lived protest phenomena, radical right-wing populist parties are a reflection and expression of new political conflicts created by the transition to postindustrial capitalism.

Type
Research Article
Information
The Review of Politics , Volume 55 , Issue 4 , Fall 1993 , pp. 663 - 686
Copyright
Copyright © University of Notre Dame 1993

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

1. Betz, Hans-georg, “Political Conflict in the Postmodern Age: Radical RightWing Populist Parties in Europe,” Current Politics and Economics of Europe 1 (1990): 67–83.Google Scholar

2. Childers, Thomas, “The Social Bases of the National Socialist Vote,” Journal of Contemporary History 11 (1976): 25.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

3. Diamanti, Ilvo, “La mia patria è il Veneto. I valori e la proposta politica delle leghe,” Polis 6 (1992): 225–55.Google Scholar

4. Vimercati, Daniele, I Lombardi alla nuova crociata, (Milan: Mursia, 1990)Google Scholar; Moioli, Vittorio, II tarlo delle leghe (Trezzo sull' Adda: Comedit2000,1991)Google Scholar; Bossi, Umberto with Vimercati, Daniele, Vento dal nord (Milan: Sperling and Kupfer, 1992)Google Scholar; Diamanti, Ilvo, La Lega: Geografia, storia e sociologia di un nuovo soggetto politico (Rome: Donzelli Editore, 1993).Google Scholar

5. Riedlsperger, Max E., “FPÖ—Liberal or Nazi?” in Conquering the Past: Austrian Nazism Today & Tomorrow, ed. Parkinson, F. (Detroit: Wayne State University Press, 1989); pp. 259–62Google Scholar; Riedlsperger, , “Mit der ‘dritten Kraft’ in dieDritte Republik, Manuscript, Department of History, California Politechnic State University, 1993, pp. 7–15.Google Scholar

6. Pelinka, Anton,“ Alte Rechte, neue Rechte in Osterreich,” Die Neue Gesellschaft/ Frankfurter Hefte 36 (1989): 104.Google Scholar

7. Scharsach, Hans-henning, Haiders Kampf (Vienna: Orac, 1992)Google Scholar; Molzer, Andreas, Jörg! Der Eisbrecher (Vienna: Suxxes, 1990).Google Scholar

8. Riedlsperger, Max, “Heil Haider! The Revitalization of the Austrian Freedom Party since 1986,” Politics and Society in Germany, Austria and Switzerland 4 (1992): 18–58.Google Scholar

9. See Blok, Vlaams, Grondbeginselen, Deurne, no date, p. 3Google Scholar; Fitzmaurice, John, “The Extreme Right in Belgium: Recent Developments,” Parliamentary Affairs 45 (1992): 304–305.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

10. Husbands, Christopher T., “Belgium: Flemish Legions on the March,” in The Extreme Right in Europe and the USA, ed. Hainsworth, Paul (London: Pinter, 1992), pp. 126–50Google Scholar; Vandermotten, Christian and Vanlaer, Jean, “Immigration et vote d'extrême-droite en Europe Occidentale et en Belgique,” Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1991, p. 5.Google Scholar

11. See Brewaeys, Philippe, “De Clan Dewinter,” Knack, 3 06 1992, p. 80.Google Scholar

12. Swyngedouw, Marc, “Het Vlaams Blok in Antwerpen: Een analyse van de verkiezingsuitslagen sinds 1985,” in Extreetm rechts in West-Europa, ed. Schampheleire, Hugo De and Thanassekos, Yannis (Brussels: VUB-Press, 1991), pp. 93–114Google Scholar; Mabille, Xavier, Lentzen, Evelyne, and Blaise, Pierre, Les élections législatives du 24 novembre 1991, Courrier hebdomadaire, no. 1335–36,1991.Google Scholar

13. Backes, Uwe, “The West German Republikaner: Profile of a Nationalist, Populist Party of Protest,” Patterns of Prejudice 24 (1990): 3–18CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Hennig, Eike, Die Republikaner im Schatten Deutschlands (Frankfurt: Suhrkamp, 1991).Google Scholar

14. Roth, Dieter, “Sind die Republikaner die fünfte Partei?” Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, B41–42―89, 6 10 1989, pp. 10–20Google Scholar; Pappi, Franz Urban, “Die Republikaner im Parteiensystem der Bundesrepublik,” Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, B21/90,18 05 1990, pp.37–44.Google Scholar

15. Betz, Hans-georg, “Politics of Resentment: Right-Wing Radicalism in West Germany,” Comparative Politics 22 (1990): 54–55.Google Scholar

16. Roth, Dieter, “Die Republikaner: Schneller Aufstieg und tiefer Fall einer Protestpartei am rechten Rand,” Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, B37–38―90, 14 09 1990, pp. 27–39.Google Scholar

17. Plasser, Fritz and Ulram, Peter A., “Politisch-kultureller Wandel in Österreich,” in Staatsbürger oder Untertan? Politische Kultur Deutschlands, Österreichs und der Schweiz im Vergleich, ed. Plasser, Fritz and Ulram, Peter A. (Frankfurt/ Berne/New York/Paris: Peter Lang, 1991), pp. 113–15Google Scholar; Mannheimer, Renato and Sani, Giacomo, II mercato elettorale (Bologna: II Mulino, 1987), p. 16Google Scholar; Renato Mannheimer, “Gli elettori e simpatizzanti della Lega Lombarda dopo le elezioni politiche del 1992” (Paper presented at the Annual Conference of the American Political Science Association, Chicago, 1992).

18. Veen, H.-j., Lepszy, N. and Mnich, P., Die Republikaner-Partei zu Beginn der 90er Jahre, Interne Studien, no. 14―1991–1992 (Sankt Augustin: Forschungsinstitut der Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, 1992), p. 48Google Scholar; Mannheimer, , “Gli elettori e simpatizzanti della Lega Lombarda;” Diamanti, La Lega, pp. 88–89Google Scholar; Plasser, and Ulram, , “Politisch-kultureller Wandel in Österreich,” p. 114Google Scholar; Plasser, Fritz and Ulram, Peter A., “Überdehnung, Erosion und rechtspopulistische Reaktion. Wandlungsfaktoren des österreichischen Parteiensystems im Vergleich,” Österreichische Zeitschrift für Politikwissenschaft 21 (1992): 147–64.Google Scholar

19. Crook, Stephen, Pakulski, Jan and Waters, Malcolm, Postmodernization: Change in Advanced Society (London/Newbury Park/New Delhi: SAGE, 1992)Google Scholar; Esping-andersen, Gøsta, “Postindustrial Cleavage Structures: A Comparison of Evolving Patterns of Social Stratification in Germany, Sweden and the United States,” in Labor Parties in Postindustrial Societies, ed. Piven, Frances Fox (New York: Oxford University Press, 1992), pp. 147–68.Google Scholar

20. Esping-andersen, Gøsta, The Three Worlds of Welfare Capitalism (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1990), chap. 8Google Scholar; Reich, Robert, “Secession of the Successful,” New York Times Magazine, 20 01 1991, p. 42Google Scholar; Ritzer, George, The McDonaldization of Society (Thousand Oaks/London/New Delhi: Pine Forge Press, 1993)Google Scholar; Adams, Douglas, Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture (New York: St. Martin's Press, 1991), p. 5.Google Scholar

21. Hage, Jerald and Powers, Charles H., Postindustrial Lives: Roles and Relationships in the 21st Century (Newbury Park/London/New Delhi: SAGE, 1992), pp. 41, 55CrossRefGoogle Scholar; see also Marklund, Staffan, “Structures of Modern Poverty,” Acta Sociologica 33 (1990): 125–40CrossRefGoogle Scholar; Room, Graham J. and Henningsen, Bernd, Neue Armut in der Europaischen Gemeinschaft (Frankfurt/New York: Campus, 1990).Google Scholar

22. Geissler, Rainer, Die Sozialstruktur Deutschlands (Opladen: Westdeutscher Verlag, 1992), pp. 165–93.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

23. Heisler, Barbara Schmitter, “A Comparative Perspective on the Underclass,” Theory and Society 20 (1991): 455–83.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

24. See EMNID/Spiegel surveys, 1–18 March 1989 and 24–29 November 1992.

25. Crook, , Pakulski and Waters, Postmodernization, p. 176.Google Scholar

26. Hage, and Powers, , Postindustrial Lives, p. 65.Google Scholar

27. Kitschelt, Herbert, “New Social Movements and the Decline of Party Organization,” in Challenging the Political Order, ed. Dalton, Russell J. and Kuechler, Manfred (New York: Oxford University Press, 1990), pp. 179–208.Google Scholar

28. Wiesendahl, Elmar, “Volksparteien im Abstieg,” Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, B34–35―92,14 08 1992, pp. 9–14Google Scholar; Vandermotten, Christan and Vanlaer, Jean, “Partis et élections depuis 1946,” Pouvoir 54 (1990): 66Google Scholar; Swyngedouw, Marc, Waar voor je waarden: De opkomst van Vlaams Blok en Agalev in de jar tachtig ISPO-schrift 1992/1, Leuven, 1992, p. 32.Google Scholar

29. Statera, Gianni, Come votano gli Italiani (Milan: Sperling and Kupfer, 1993), pp. 102–104Google Scholar; generally, Galli, Giorgio, Mezzo Secolo DC (Milan: Rizzoli, 1993)Google Scholar; Plasser, Fritz, “Die Nationalratswahl 1986: Analyse und politische Konsequenzen, Osterreichische Monatshefte 42 (1986) 8:26Google Scholar; Plasser, Fritz and Ulram, Peter, “Abstieg oder letzte Chance der ÖVP?” Österreichische Monatshefte 46 (1990) 7:14Google Scholar; Sperl, Gerfried, “Die Partei unter kräftigen Modernisierungsdruck,” Das Parlament, 28 08 1992, p. 17.Google Scholar

30. Hofmann-göttig, Joachim, “Die Neue Rechte: Die Männerpartei,” Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte B41–42,6 10 1989, p. 26Google Scholar; Feist, Ursula, “Rechtsruck in Baden-Württemberg und Schleswig-Holstein,” in Protestwähler und Wahlverweigerer: Krise der Demokratie?, ed. Starzacher, Karl, Schacht, Konrad, Friedrich, Bernd and Leif, Thomas (Cologne: Bund, 1992), p. 74.Google ScholarRoth, , “Die Republikaner,” p. 35.Google Scholar

31. Hennig, , Die Republikaner im Schatten Deutschlands, pp. 214–15Google Scholar; Schmollinger, Horst W., “Die Wahl zum Abgeordnetenhaus von Berlin am 29. Januar 1989,” Zeitschrift für Parlamentsfragen 20 (1989): 319Google Scholar; Feist, , “Rechtsruck in BadenWürttemberg und Schleswig-Holstein,” p. 73.Google Scholar

32. Swyngedouw, Marc, “Het Vlaams Blok in Antwerpen: Een analyse va de verkiezingsutilagen sinds 1985” in Extreem rechts in West-Europa, ed. Schampheleire, Hugo De and Thanassekos, Yannis (Brussels: VUB-Press, 1991), pp. 93–114Google Scholar; Swyngedouw, , Waar voor je waarden, pp. 27–28, 36.Google Scholar

33. Jaschke, Hans-gerd, “Nicht-demokratische politische Parrizipation in der sozial polarisierten Stadt,” in Protestwähler und Wahlverweigerer, p. 99Google Scholar; Commers, Ronald, “Antwerpen: Eine europäische Stadt driftet nach rechts,” in Rassismus in Europa, ed. Butterwegge, Christoph and Jäger, Siegfried (Cologne: Bund, 1993), pp. 135–43.Google Scholar

34. Plasser, , “Die Nationalratswahl 1986,” p. 8.Google Scholar

35. Plasser, Fritz, Ulram, Peter A. and Grausgruber, Alfred, “The Decline of ‘Lager Mentality’ and the New Model of Electoral Competition in Austria,” West European Politics 15 (1992) 1: 40–41.Google Scholar

36. See Mannheimer, “Gli elettori e simpatizzanti dell Lega Lombarda;” DOXA, “La novità delle ‘proiezioni DOXA ‘92’: II sondaggio all' uscita dai seggi,” Bolletino della DOXA 46,14 04 1992Google Scholar; Natale, Paolo, “Lega Lombarda e insediamento territoriale: un' analisi ecologica,” in La Lega Lombarda, ed. Mannheimer, Renato (Milan: Feltrinelli, 1991), p. 108Google Scholar; Diamanri, , La Lega, pp. 98–99Google Scholar; Statera, , Come votano gli Italiani, pp. 62f.Google Scholar

37. Blok, Vlaams, “Zeggen wat u denkt”, Deurne, no date, p. 9.Google Scholar

38. Bossi, Umberto in Lega Nord Centro Sud, no. 62–68,1–7 03 1992, pp. 1–2.Google Scholar

39. Die Republikaner für Baden-Württemberg: Landtagswahlprogramm ‘92, Stuttgart, 1992, p. 2; Blok, Vlaams, Uit Selfverdediging: Verkiezingsprogramma 1991, Brussels, 1991.Google Scholar

40. Savelli, Giulio, Che cosa vuole la Lega (Milan: Longanesi and Co., 1992).Google Scholar

41. Bossi with Vimercati, Vento dal nord, chap. 13; Bossi, Umberto and Vimercati, Daniele, La rivoluzione—La Lega: storia e idee (Milan: Kupfer and Sperling, 1993) chap. 4.Google Scholar

42. Die Republikaner für Baden-Württemberg, p. 15; Blok, Vlaams, Uit Zelfverdediging, p. 25.Google Scholar

43. Blok, Vlaams, Manifest van het rechtse Vlaams-nationalisme: Grondbeginselen, Deurne, no date, pp. 6–7,15–16Google Scholar; Die Republikaner für Baden-Württemberg, p. 19–20.

44. For the Vlaams Blok see Annemans and Dewinter, Dossier Gasdarbeid; for the Republikaner see especially Republikaner für Baden-Württemberg, pp. 4–14.

45. Die Republikaner, “Deutsche Bürger wehrt Euch!” leaflet, 1992; Die Republikaner für Baden-Württemberg, p. 19; for the Vlaams Blok see Dewinter, Filip, Immigratie: De Opplossingen, Merksem, no date, pp. 8–9.Google Scholar

46. See Larsen, Frédéric, “En Belgique, l'extrême droite s'installe dans les coulisses de pouvoir,” Le Monde Diplomatique, no. 455, 8 02 1992, p. 8.Google Scholar

47. FPO, Osterreich politisch erneuern: Programm der Freiheitlichen Partei Osterreichs, FBW Informationen, 6/89, paragraph 195.

48. Moioli, Vittorio, I nuovi razzismi: Miserie e fortune delict Lega lombarda (Rome: Edizioni Associate, 1990)Google Scholar; “Programma della Lega Nord,” Lombardia Autonomista, 5 March 1992, p. 9; Bossi, with Vimercati, , Vento dal nord, pp. 143–50.Google Scholar

49. See the interview with Bossi, Umberto “Meglio gli Usa che i barbari,”Il Sabato, 24 July 1993, p. 34Google Scholar; and the position of the mayor of Monza, quoted in Cutuli, M. G., “Monza: I cento giorni che sconvolsero la città,” Epoca, 29 June 1993, p. 19.Google Scholar

50. FPÖ, Heitnatsuche; Mölzer, Andreas, “Tragödie der Multikultur,” Neue Freie Zeitung, no. 20,13 May 1992, p. 7.Google Scholar

51. FPÖ, Österreich zuerst, Vienna, 1992.Google Scholar

52. Mannheimer, Renato, “Chi vota Lega e perché,” in La Lega Lombarda, p. 144Google Scholar; Renato Mannheimer, “Gli elettori e simpatizzanti della Lega Lombarda,” no page.

53. See Plasser, Fritz and Ulram, Peter A., “Exit Poll GRW Wien “91,” mimeo, Fessel + GFK Institut, Vienna, 1991Google Scholar; SWS survey, FB288, November/December 1992.

54. See Savelli, Giulio, “Eadesso serve una Lega nel Centro-Sud, L ”Independente, 22 06 1993, pp. 1–2.Google Scholar

55. Heitmeyer, Wilhelm, “Gesellschaftliche Desintegrationsprozesse als Ursachen von fremdenfeindlicher Gewalt und politischer Paralysierung,” Aus Politik und Zeitgeschichte, B2–3%―93, 8 01 1993, pp. 7–8.Google Scholar

56. Ricolfi, Luca, “Politica senza fede: I'estremismo di centro dei piccoli leghisti,” II Mulino 42 (1993): 53–69.Google Scholar