Reflections on the Rise of the Far-Right
Written by Konstantinos Deligiannis (European Studies: History, Society and Civilisation, HOU). Translated from Greek by Nikos Gkaragkasidis.
The following reflections were prompted by the recent elections in Germany and the rise of the AfD.
Emotional immaturity, digital pareidolia and solutions conceived in anger, are shaping and fueling the modern far-right. What is puzzling, however, is how the bloodthirsty and fanatical nature of this introverted and self-destructive movement is shifting from being in the margins, to increasingly taking over the public sphere and largely shaping the political agenda of Western societies.
The fuel for this barbaric historical period is, to a large extent, the policies of austerity, “costed” campaign promises, and supposed technocratic competence.
The political forces that ostensibly espouse a serious and pragmatic outlook have, in essence, exacerbated economic and social inequalities, leaving a large portion of the population at the mercy of the cannibalistic free market.
However, the political inadequacies of neoliberalism are not solely to blame for this dismal trajectory. A stagnation in thought finds the Left incapable of meeting the demands of the present. Amid a climate of profound mourning, following the collapse of actually existing socialism, the Left still clings to the tools and logic of the previous century.
A pivotal role in this shift to the far-right is also played by the constant specter of an impending World War. Instead of being seen as an opportunity for level-headed and creative political reflection, these difficult historical circumstances have intensified fear and doomsday scenarios, rekindling the imaginary of militarism and aggressive nationalism. In such moments of mental entrenchment therefore, people in the West take refuge in the safety of fanatical simplifications, obsessive scenarios of fantasy, and morbid suspicion.
In this new political landscape, complacency rooted in the logic of institutional bans is inadequate. The times demand the mobilization of democratic resistance, both in our daily interpersonal lives and on a collective level. If we are to see a dynamic response to all of this, it will only come if the ideas of representative power, party vanguardism, and specialized political bureaucracy are demythologized. Only then can democratic ideas regain their momentum.
After all, democratic action is not the praxis of a closed political club, but a collective action from below. It is an act of emancipation and freedom.
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