scholarly journals Westlessness? Challenges for the EU’s Soft Power Approach

2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexandra Ludewig
Keyword(s):  
Soft Power ◽  
Political Power ◽  
Moral Authority ◽  
Test Case ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
The West ◽  
Right Wing Extremism

The West claims to be an economic and political power. However, its moral authority seems increasingly pilloried in many places. Some political scientists even speak of “Westlessness”: populism, nationalism, right-wing extremism, terrorism and democratic fatigue are some of the symptoms. This disunity of many people in Western industrialised nations is nowhere more evident than in relation to the contested topic of immigration. It polarises societies, as it is precisely here that legal convictions clash with ethical and moral ones and subsequently fail in the attempt to create Realpolitik. This article will trace the events that led to the neologism “Westlessness” being coined, before it will contextualise responses from within and without to this diagnosis and use the EU’s responses to the so-called refugee crisis from 2015 until the present as a test case for its future in solidarity and unity.

New Nationalisms: Sources, Agendas, Languages. An Introduction

2020 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Siegfried Huigen ◽  
Dorota Kołodziejczyk
Keyword(s):  
Central Europe ◽  
Political Power ◽  
Radical Right ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Modes Of Operation ◽  
Seminar Series ◽  
Right Wing Populism ◽  
The University ◽  
Government Level

New Nationalisms: Sources, Agendas, Languages, a seminar organised by Academia Europaea Wrocław Knowledge Hub, the University of Wrocław and the Lower Silesian University, on 25–27 September 2017, inquired into the problem of the rise of right-wing populism in Central Europe. Manifest in responses to the refugee crisis of 2015 and to the Brexit referendum in 2016 across Europe, the populists successfully mobilised constituencies with anti-EU and anti-immigration sentiments. These attitudes, in turn, stimulated the emergence of nationalist agendas on an unexpected scale, moving radical right-wing parties with a pronounced nationalist programme from the margins, much closer to real political power. As part of the Relocating Central Europe seminar series, our reflection focused on that region, attempting to answer fundamental questions about the sources, purposes and modes of operation of the new nationalist impetus in political programmes, including those fostered at government level.

scholarly journals One and the Same? An Exploration into Two Common Ideological Motivations for Lone-Actor Terror Attacks in the West Between 2010-2017

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tylah Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
The West ◽  
Terror Attacks ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Social Minorities ◽  
Islamic Extremism ◽  
Right Wing Extremism

<p>Islamic extremism (IE) and right-wing extremism (RWE) are the two most common ideological motivations for perpetrating lone-actor terrorism in the West. This study explored the similarities and differences of these ideologies by coding for specific attack and personal characteristics of attacks that occurred between 2010-2017 in Western Europe, Australia, and North America. Lone-actor terrorism included attacks perpetrated by individuals, as well as isolated dyads and triads. A codebook was developed to capture the attack and personal characteristics, and data was obtained from media and other open-source reporting. The dataset included a total of 99 cases perpetrated by 102 individual actors. The study found that lone-actor attacks perpetrated by IE and RWE had increased significantly over the time period studied. Some key significant differences were found: IE were more likely to be an immigrant to the country of attack they were born in, were more likely to target civilians, and their plots or extremist activity were more visible to law enforcement and intelligence agencies, while RWE were more likely to be single, more likely to target social minorities less likely to have experienced tertiary level education or higher, less likely to have children, and are significantly older than IEs. However, for the majority of variables there were no significant differences between IE and RWE, including variables that may indicate strain in a perpetrator’s life (mental health, social isolation and experience of stressful events), indicating that overall the attacks perpetrated by individuals of the two ideologies share more commonalities than differences.</p>

Populism and Cosmopolitanism as a Unitary Structure of Global Systemic Process

2020 ◽  
Vol 37 ◽  
pp. 66-76
Author(s):  
Jonathan Friedman ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Right Wing ◽  
The West ◽  
The Core ◽  
The Past ◽  
Systemic Process ◽  
Right Wing Extremism

Populism is discussed here in terms of the larger global systemic matrix in which it occurs. It is suggested that it is not, as has been claimed so often, recently, somehow related to what is labelled as right-wing extremism. It is an expression of an aspiration to sovereignty, control over one’s conditions of existence and its links to either left or right are based on that aspiration. And, of course, right and left are themselves terms that have shifted or even been inverted over the past 30 years. The core argument is that populism and cosmopolitanism form a complementary opposition that has emerged as a product of the hegemonic decline of the West.

The “Alternative for Germany:” Factors Behind its Emergence and Profile of a New Right-wing Populist Party

2016 ◽  
Vol 34 (2) ◽  
pp. 1-16 ◽  
Author(s):  
Frank Decker
Keyword(s):  
Social Issue ◽  
New Right ◽  
Window Of Opportunity ◽  
Economic Policies ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Euro Crisis ◽  
Liberal Party ◽  
Alternative For Germany ◽  
Right Wing Extremism

Until 2013, right-wing populist or extremist parties were unable to establish themselves as a relevant political force in Germany. With the advent of the Alternative für Deutschland the party landscape has changed significantly. The window of opportunity for the newcomer was opened in 2013 by the Euro crisis. Combining euroskepticism with liberal economic policies and a conservative social issue agenda the AfD mainly capitalized on the neglecting of these matters by the liberal party and the Christian democrats. Controversy between the market-oriented moderate wing represented by party founder Bernd Lucke and the radical advocates of national populism led to the split off of the former in July 2015. Only with the refugee crisis did the AfD regain its electoral fortunes and obtained its best results thus far in the March 2016 state elections. Most probably, the party’s prospects will remain promising if one considers the voter’s side. The main risks lie in its own ranks, where ideological battles, personal struggles and the unresolved question of how to distance the party from right-wing extremism could further self-destruction.

scholarly journals One and the Same? An Exploration into Two Common Ideological Motivations for Lone-Actor Terror Attacks in the West Between 2010-2017

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Tylah Fitzgerald
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Personal Characteristics ◽  
Stressful Events ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
The West ◽  
Terror Attacks ◽  
Time Period ◽  
Social Minorities ◽  
Islamic Extremism ◽  
Right Wing Extremism

<p>Islamic extremism (IE) and right-wing extremism (RWE) are the two most common ideological motivations for perpetrating lone-actor terrorism in the West. This study explored the similarities and differences of these ideologies by coding for specific attack and personal characteristics of attacks that occurred between 2010-2017 in Western Europe, Australia, and North America. Lone-actor terrorism included attacks perpetrated by individuals, as well as isolated dyads and triads. A codebook was developed to capture the attack and personal characteristics, and data was obtained from media and other open-source reporting. The dataset included a total of 99 cases perpetrated by 102 individual actors. The study found that lone-actor attacks perpetrated by IE and RWE had increased significantly over the time period studied. Some key significant differences were found: IE were more likely to be an immigrant to the country of attack they were born in, were more likely to target civilians, and their plots or extremist activity were more visible to law enforcement and intelligence agencies, while RWE were more likely to be single, more likely to target social minorities less likely to have experienced tertiary level education or higher, less likely to have children, and are significantly older than IEs. However, for the majority of variables there were no significant differences between IE and RWE, including variables that may indicate strain in a perpetrator’s life (mental health, social isolation and experience of stressful events), indicating that overall the attacks perpetrated by individuals of the two ideologies share more commonalities than differences.</p>

Refugee crisis and violent right-wing extremism in Western Europe

2019 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 265-290
Author(s):  
Eunyoung Kim ◽  
◽  
Duckhyung Jang
Keyword(s):  
Western Europe ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Right Wing Extremism

Far-right extremism is rising in the West

2018 ◽  
Keyword(s):  
United States ◽  
The United States ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Left Wing ◽  
Far Right ◽  
The West ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Counter Terrorism ◽  
Right Wing Extremism ◽  
Increased Pressure

Subject Far-right extremism. Significance The State of Hate report published on March 1 by a UK anti-racism group warns that the threat from traditional far-right groups is being replaced by new networks developing online and involving a younger generation. Earlier, the outgoing head of UK counter-terrorism policing, Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley, stressed the importance of publishing the figures to showcase "the growth of right-wing extremism." In recent years the extreme right has increased its prevalence and influence across Europe and the United States. Impacts Violent clashes between right-wing and left-wing groups may rise. Social media and online platform providers will come under increased pressure to remove extremist content. Users to seek out less regulated platforms and find themselves in more isolated echo chambers.

scholarly journals Alternative Für Deutschland Strategy in 2017 Germany Legislative Election: Analysis of Posters as Visual Campaign Media

2021 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 375
Author(s):  
Nafila Maulina Priyanto
Keyword(s):  
Political Communication ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Extreme Right ◽  
Legislative Elections ◽  
Alternative Für Deutschland ◽  
Right Wing Populism ◽  
European Refugee Crisis ◽  
Right Wing Extremism ◽  
Legislative Election

Paham Populisme-Ekstrem Sayap Kanan mengalami kenaikan di Eropa utamanya pascakrisis pengungsi 2014-2015. Krisis ini menjadi momentum bagi partai populis ekstrem sayap kanan untuk memobilisasi suara masyarakat. Di Jerman, partai Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) mendapat dukungan yang masif ketika partai memutuskan untuk berfokus pada ideologi dan kritiknya mengenai krisis pengungsi Eropa pada pemilihan legislatif tahun 2017. Salah satu cara strategi yang digunakan oleh partai adalah dengan kampanye melalui poster. Oleh karena itu, untuk menjawab pertanyaan bagaimana karakter populis ekstrem sayap kanan direpresentasikan dalam poster kampanye partai AfD, penelitian ini menggunakan konsep Populisme Sayap Kanan dan teori Strategic Political Communication yang dianalisis dengan menggunakan metode CDA untuk dapat menganalisis poster secara spesifik. Penelitian ini menyimpulkan bahwa partai AfD lebih menunjukkan karakter rasis pada poster-poster kampanyenya yang ditunjukkan oleh atribut-atribut budaya yang digunakan. Kata-kata kunci: Populisme-ekstrem sayap kanan; Alternative Für Deutschland; Krisis Pengungsi Eropa Right-wing populism-extreme views have increased in Europe, especially after the 2014-2015 refugee crisis. This crisis has become a momentum for extreme right-wing populist parties to mobilize people’s voices. In Germany, the Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) party received massive support when it decided to focus on its ideology and criticism of the European refugee crisis in the 2017 legislative elections. One of the strategies used by the party was through poster campaigns. Therefore, to answer how the extreme right-wing populist character is represented in the AfD party’s campaign poster, this study uses the concept of Right-wing Populism and the theory of Strategic Political Communication, which is analyzed using the CDA method be able to analyze the poster specifically. This study concludes that the AfD party shows more of a racist character on its campaign posters which is indicated by the cultural attributes used. Keywords: Alternative für Deutschland, Right-wing extremism, Refugee Crisis

scholarly journals Ultra-Right Terrorism in the West in the 21st Century: Trends and Features

2020 ◽  
Vol 64 (12) ◽  
pp. 5-14
Author(s):  
A. Yashlavskii
Keyword(s):  
Hate Speech ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Extreme Right ◽  
Far Right ◽  
The West ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
The Social ◽  
New Type ◽  
Right Wing Extremism

An alarming trend observed in the 2010s was the growth of ultra-right terrorism in Western countries. Being a highly heterogeneous phenomenon, extreme right-wing extremism is fueled by crises of the socio-economic and spiritual order in Western societies. A feature of the development of this phenomenon in the last decade is the assertion by supporters of ultra-right extremist ideas about themselves as a “shield” protecting the West not only from the “invasion” of alien migrants, but also from the danger of Islamist terrorism. The reorientation of right-wing extremists towards “anti-jihadism” can be partly explained by the desire to arrange a “restyling” of the ultra-right movements in order to give them not only the appearance of greater moderation, but also in a sense to legitimize their attitudes as a force opposing Islamist terrorists. However, an analysis of the theory and practice of extreme right-wing terrorists demonstrates similarities with terrorism of the “jihadist” kind in many respects. Militant Islamists and far-right extremists alike deny tolerance, rely on violence, spread hatred and mistrust. Both those and other terrorists use a similar “hate speech”. In a sense, “jihadists” and ultra-right extremists are necessary for each other, because each side finds a different explanation and justification for its own crimes in actions. The crisis phenomena generated by the global pandemic of a new type of coronavirus in 2020 not only contributed to the activation of propaganda by supporters of ultra-right ideas, but created objective conditions for these ideas to resonate with some Westerners. Accordingly, this poses a severe threat of both expanding the social base of ultra-right movements and the implementation of new acts of violence.

Right-Wing Extremism in Germany

2019 ◽  
pp. 8-38
Author(s):  
Arie W. Kruglanski ◽  
David Webber ◽  
Daniel Koehler
Keyword(s):  
World War Ii ◽  
Political Parties ◽  
West Germany ◽  
Right Wing ◽  
Refugee Crisis ◽  
Critical Periods ◽  
East And West Germany ◽  
History Of ◽  
The Right ◽  
Right Wing Extremism

Chapter 2 provides an overview of German right-wing extremism. A history of German right-wing extremism is first discussed, tracing the formation of right-wing political parties and militant groups in this country in the post–World War II period. Critical periods and events are highlighted, including, among others, the reunification of East and West Germany and the current “refugee crisis.” The chapter describes important groups and organizations that operate or have operated within the right-wing milieu over the last decades. These groups include political parties, subcultural groups, and organizations that have committed terrorist attacks. These latter groups are discussed in terms of their formation, terrorist actions, and consequences.

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