Radical Right, Populism and Democracy

a descriptive analysis

Abstract

Abstract: As a result of the universal decline of the democratic regime, radical right-wing parties (RRPs) have been gaining political influence and power through democratic elections rather than through coups d'état or extra-constitutional means. They have begun to win seats in national and regional legislatures, cabinet positions and as heads of state. This phenomenon has inspired a multitude of studies on RRPs, from different approaches, some of which seek to describe the type of voter that underlies such success. There is a consensus in the literature that the extreme right uses strategies anchored in the evocation of hate speech aligned with populism, xenophobia, racism, homophobia and intolerance disseminated within societies. It is also worth noting that such strategies signal a kind of colonization of the popular imagination, and thus highlight the importance of the cultural and symbolic universe as a central dimension of a dispute for hegemony and power. Objective: This article aims to identify the political strategies and ideological-cultural components common to supporters of the radical right in the United States, Germany, and Brazil. This choice is justified by the political and economic weight of these countries, as well as their ability to “export” the anti-democratic model to countries in America and Europe. Conclusion: The article concludes that despite all the threats, democracy in those countries has proven resilient, partly due to the radicalism of the extreme right itself. This resistance movement has been led by all those who have been “mugged by reality.”