'Far right', 'extreme right', 'ultra-right', or 'radical right' are terms used to discuss the
qualitative or
quantitive position a group or person occupies within a
political spectrum.
The terms ''far right'' and ''
far left'' are often used to imply that someone is an
extremist. The terms are used by many political commentators to discuss political groups, movements, and political parties that are difficult to classify within conventional
Right-wing politics.
The terms ''extreme right'' or ''ultra right'' are used by some scholars to discuss only those right-wing political groups that step outside the boundaries of traditional electoral politics. This generally includes the revolutionary right, militant racial supremacists and religious extremists,
fascists,
neo-fascists,
Nazis, and
neo-Nazis.
[1] In this usage, the terms are distinct from other forms of right-wing politics such as the less-militant sectors of the far right, right-wing
populists and the more traditional
conservatives.
[2]
The term ''far right'' has been used by scholars in at least three somewhat conflicting ways:
#Reform-oriented right-wing movements or rightist factions of conservative political parties. These are sometimes called the dissident right, activist right, or right-wing populism. They are positioned between traditional conservatives and the extreme right. These participants are found outside mainstream electoral politics, but they generally produce a movement of reform rather than revolution.
#
Neo-fascists and
neo-Nazis are usually labeled extreme right or ultra right. Such groups are generally revolutionary in character rather than reformist. Neo-Nazi and Neo-fascist literally means "new Nazi" and "new fascist", implying that they are from the period following
World War II.
#The whole range of right-wing politics, from the borders of conservatism out to the far reaches of the extreme right.
These categories are not universally accepted, and other uses exist, making comparative use of the term complicated.
Usage
The term ''far right'' is usually rejected by right-wing political parties that consider themselves mainstream. Far right supporters are often strong advocates for forcibly intervening in society in order to protect or promote values that are viewed as traditional. This is in contrast to supporters of
left-wing politics, who advocate intervention in favor of
egalitarianism, and give little or no authority to tradition. Both stand in contrast also to less interventionist positions such as mainstream
conservatism and
liberalism,
anarchism and
libertarianism.
The political terms ''left'' and ''right'' arose during the
French Revolution, and the original meaning of ''far right'' was the ''throne-and-altar''
reactionaries such as
Joseph de Maistre and
Louis de Bonald. They rejected
democracy, liberalism and
individualism, and were in favour of an authoritarian
monarchical government. They further proclaimed the submission of the individual to the so-called "natural associations" (families, regions, professions, nations, etc.). For them, humans should obey their superiors (the father in the family, the king in the state, the
Pope in the Church) on earth because their authority is the mirror of the authority of God in the universe.
The original French meaning of ''far right'' is specific to a
Roman Catholic nation, and more specifically to a
Gallican society in which church and state were closely tied to one another. In this context, the term can be expanded to include the kind of
Caesaropapism that occasionally existed in some
Eastern Orthodox kingdoms. This specific interpretation of the term ''far right'' especially lost favor in the decades following the
Revolutions of 1848, as a return to the Ancien Régime became increasingly implausible. By the reign of
Pope Pius XI, this interpretation of ''far right'' had essentially become anachronistic even in conservative Catholic circles.
In the 2000s, the term ''far right'' is usually applied to those who support
authoritarianism and policies that are considered ''right'' rather than ''left''. In regions and nations that have no recent history of monarchy, such as
Central America (discounting the
Pre-Columbian era),
Switzerland, and the
United States, far-right politics is rarely monarchist, and usually advocates harsher law enforcement, particularly against disfavored groups, and sometimes
fascist or
military dictatorship.
The term ''far right'' also embraces extreme
nationalism, and sometimes evokes a ''pure'' ideal of the nation, often defined by
race. They may advocate the expansion or restructuring of existing state borders to achieve an ideal nation, often to the point of embracing
war and
imperialism. In English-speaking nations, this nationalism is often descended from militant aspects of British
New Imperialism.
Radical right-wing populism is a far right ideology that accepts representative democracy, but criticizes supposed political elites and appeals to
ethno-nationalism.
Fascism is generally, but not universally, classified as a far-right ideology. However, right-wing libertarian scholars such as
F. A. Hayek and
Ludwig von Mises are noteworthy dissenters from that view. Both have labeled it
far left, based on a view of the political spectrum that equates ''left'' with support for increased government power and "right" with opposition to the same. However, some Miseans, such as
Murray Rothbard put fascism on the right.
Ideologies such as
Nazism,
National Bolshevism,
Third Position,
National-Anarchism and other ''national-revolutionary'' ideologies — such as those of
Juan Peron in
Argentina,
Gamal Abdel Nasser in
Egypt, the
Baath in
Syria and
Iraq — are often regarded as far right, but they transcend standard political boundaries. Concern with ecology and calls for
full employment and other concerns common on the left are sometimes found in the far right.
Populism,
social unrest,
violence, and
revolution can also be found in both the far right and far left. On one hand, these movements are
anti-communist, but they often recruit among the lower and middle-classes, and when in power, have often
nationalized industries and property, especially that owned by foreigners or by members of ethnicities not defined by them as part of their nation.
In contrast, the term "far right" has been used for certain "free market dictatorships", such as that of
Augusto Pinochet in
Chile.. While the term is occasionally applied to supporters of extreme
laissez-faire capitalism calling right-wing libertarians ''far right'' is a matter of controversy. Capitalist libertarians consider themselves proponents of
Classical liberalism, which was the the main adversary of the first far-right. In his essay "Left and Right: the Prospects for Liberty" and "Confessions of a Right-Wing Liberal", Murray Rothbard even put libertarianism on the left, claiming that conservatives are the right and
socialists merely "middle-of-the road".
[3][4] However,
George Lakoff, in his book ''
Moral Politics'', states that libertarianism draws from the conservative metaphorical model of American political ideology.
Parties alleged to be far right or extreme right
★ Europe - The
Identity, Tradition, Sovereignty group of
MEPs is a recently-formed grouping of far right parties in the European Union member states.
[ Far-right group formed in European Parliament Honor Mahony ][ Romania's first gift to the European Union - a caucus of neo-fascists and Holocaust deniers Ian Traynor ][ Rechtsaußenfraktion im EU-Parliament kommt ]
★ Australia –
Citizens Electoral Council[5][6]
★ Austria – Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs (FPÖ) –
Freedom Party of Austria[7][8][9][10]
★ Austria – Bündnis Zukunft Österreich (BZÖ) -
Alliance for the Future of Austria, a "less ideological" split off of the FPÖ.
[10]
★ Belgium –
Vlaams Blok – Flemish Bloc; since 2004:
Vlaams Belang78
★ Belgium –
Front National Belge (FNB) – Belgian National Front
78
★ Bulgaria -
National Union Attack
★ Croatia -
Croatian Pure Party of Rights (HÄŒSP)
[12]
★ Denmark - Dansk Folkeparti -
Danish People’s Party[13]
★ France –
Front National – National Front
78
★ Germany – Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands (NPD) –
National Democratic Party of Germany78
★ Germany - Die Republikaner –
The Republicans (Germany)78
★ Germany - Freiheitliche Arbeiter Partei (FAP) -
Free German Workers' Party78
★ Germany - Deutsche Volksunion (DVU) -
German People's Union[14][15]
★ Germany - Deutsche Liga für Volk und Heimat (DLVH) -
German League for People and Homeland78
★ Greece -
ΠατÏιωτική Συμμαχία (Patriotiki Symmakhia, in English: Patriotic Alliance)
[16]
★ India -
Shiv Sena [17]
★ Israel -
Kach and Kahane Chai[18]
★ Israel -
Yisrael Beiteinu [19]
★ Italy -
Movimento Sociale Italiano - Destra Nazionale (MSI) - Italian Social Movement-National Right.
78
★ Luxembourg - Nationalbewegung
8
★ Netherlands – Centrumdemocraten –
Centre Democrats (defunct)
78
★ Netherlands – Centrumpartij –
Centre Party, later Centrumpartij’86, both defunct
8
★ Pakistan -
Muttahida Majlis-e-Amal (a religious coalition)
[20]
★ Portugal -
Partido Nacional Renovador[21]
★ Romania -
Greater Romania Party
★ Serbia -
Serbian Radical Party [22][23][24][25]
★ Spain -
Falange (The Spanish Falange/Phalange)
8
★ Spain -
Democracia Nacional (National Democracy)
8
★ Sweden - Nationaldemokraterna -
National Democrats[26]
★ Sweden - Sverigedemokraterna -
Sweden Democrats★ Switzerland - Swiss People's Party (SVP)
[27]
★ Turkey -
Nationalist Action Party (MHP)
[28]
★ United Kingdom –
National Front8
★ United Kingdom –
British National Party8[29]
Notes
1. "Fascism.", The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2005
2. Betz & Immerfall 1998; Betz 1994; Durham 2000; Durham 2002; Hainsworth 2000; Mudde 2000
3. "Left and Right: the Prospects for Liberty", Murray Rothbard
4. "Confessions of a Right-Wing Liberal", Murray Rothbard
5. Fascist Australia, ''The Age'', August 24, 2004.
6. Minority group in TV hijacking, ''The Australian'', July 14, 2007.
7.
8. The Ideology of the Extreme Right, , Cas, Mudde, Manchester University Press, ,
9. Far-right party shows surprising strength in Austrian vote, CNN, October 3, 1999.
10. Political forces, ''Economist'' Country Briefings: Austria, 14 November 2006.
11. Political forces, ''Economist'' Country Briefings: Austria, 14 November 2006.
12. Cynthia M. Frank, The Impact of Electoral Engineering on Nationalist Parties in Post-War States, master's thesis (Georgia State University). Accessed 16 February 2007.
13. Rise of the Right: Denmark, BBC News (undated) refers to the party as "extreme right-wing", but qualifies it as "milder in its approach than other European far-right parties." Accessed 16 February 2007.
14. http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,2144,1323331,00.html
15. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4556233.stm
16. ''ENF gathers in Athens'' from the European National Front website.
17. Police deny Shiv Sena arrest rumours
18. Currently Listed Entities
19. Far-right joins Israel coalition, BBC News
20. Top Judge's Ouster Shakes Pakistan, Washington Post
21. Portugal: A New Look at the Extreme Right, , José Pedro, Zúquete, Representation,
22. The Virtual and Global Social Democratic Party - Political Exchange World-wide: List of Extreme Right-wing & Left-wing Parties
23. Southeast Europe Portal - Serbia: Local Elections 2004 Results
24. Guardian: Extreme nationalist elected speaker of Serbian parliament
25. Boston.com news article: Milosevic ally gains key Serbian post
26. Radical Right-wing Populism in Sweden and Denmark
27. Rise of the Right: Switzerland, BBC News (undated).
28. Europe Coalition offer to Turkey's far right, BBC News
29. British National Party: Nasty, brutish and short-lived?, ''The Economist'', August 5, 2004.
References
★ Arzheimer, Kai and Elisabeth Carter (2006).
"Political Opportunity Structures and Right-Wing Extremist Party Success" ''European Journal of Political Research'' (45):419-443
★ Betz, Hans-Georg and Stefan Immerfall, eds. 1998. ''The New Politics of the Right: Neo-Populist Parties and Movements in Established Democracies''. New York: St. Martin's Press.
★ Betz, Hans-Georg (1994). ''Radical Right-wing Populism in Western Europe''. New York: St. Martins Press.
★ Durham, Martin (2000). ''The Christian Right, the Far Right and the Boundaries of American Conservatism''. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press.
★ Durham, Martin (2002). "From Imperium to Internet: the National Alliance and the American Extreme Right" ''Patterns of Prejudice'' 36(3), (July): 50-61.
★ Hainsworth, Paul (2000). ''The Politics of the Extreme Right: From the Margins to the Mainstream''. London: Pinter.
★ Schoenbaum, David. ''Hitler's Social Revolution: Class and Status in Nazi Germany,.'' ISBN
★
Interpreting Right-Wing or Reactionary Neo-Populism: A Critique, Formisano, Ronald P., , , Journal of Policy History, 2005
★ Radical conservatism : the right's political religion / Robert Brent Toplin., 2006
★ Radical conservatism and the future of politics / Göran Dahl., 1999
★ Fascists and conservatives : the radical right and the establishment in twentieth-century Europe / Martin Blinkhorn., 1990
★ The Routledge companion to fascism and the far right / Peter Davies., 2002
★ The terrorist next door : the militia movement and the radical right / Daniel Levitas., 2002
★ Right-wing populism in America : too close for comfort / Chip Berlet., 2000
★ The extreme right : freedom and security at risk / Aurel Braun., 1997
★ The impact of radical right-wing parties in West European democracies / Michelle Hale Williams., 2006
★ Right-wing extremism in the twenty-first century / Peter Merkl., 2003
★ Extreme right parties in Western Europe / Piero Ignazi., 2003
★ The United States and right-wing dictatorships, 1965-1989 / David Schmitz., 2006
★ The emergence of a Euro-American radical right / Jeffrey Kaplan., 1998
★ The politics of the extreme right : from the margins to the mainstream / Paul Hainsworth., 2000
★ The revival of right-wing extremism in the nineties / Peter Merkl., 1997
★ Shadows over Europe : the development and impact of the extreme right in Western Europe / Martin Schain., 2002
★ Western democracies and the new extreme right challenge / Roger Eatwell., 2004
★ The voice of modern hatred : encounters with Europe's new right / Nicholas Fraser., 2000
★ Extreme right activists in Europe : through the magnifying glass / Bert Klandermans., 2006
★ Preachers of hate : the rise of the far right / Angus Roxburgh., 2002
★ Movements of exclusion : radical right-wing populism in the Western world / Jens Rydgren., 2005
★
The myth of far right/ Brendan O'Neil, 2002
External links
★
Extreme Right Electorates and Party Success Research Group (EREPS)
See also
★
History of the French far right
★
Left-Right politics
★
★
Ultra leftism
★
★
Far-left
★
★
Left-wing politics
★
★
Right-wing politics
★
★
Radical right-wing populism
★
Extremism
★
★
Anarchism
★
★
Communism
★
★
Fascism
★
★
Nazism
★
Ideology
★
Glossary of the French Revolution
★
Political spectrum
★
moralism
★
nationalism
★
theocracy
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