In person icon From Radicalization to Resilience: New Insights into Mainstream Responses to Illiberalism and Far-Right Mobilization

Abstract

In recent years, far-right parties have expanded their influence across Europe, but also in non-Western countries and regions, for example in India and Latin America. While confined to the margins for various decades, the far right has become mainstream and assumed government responsibility in various countries and has regularly compelled mainstream actors to either adopt illiberal stances or redefine their commitment to liberal democratic norms. Those dynamics of mainstream party radicalization have been observed particularly for far-right core issues such as migration or Euroscepticism but deserve further study, particularly as far-right parties have diversified their agenda, moving beyond traditional focuses like immigration and welfare. This panel provides novel insights about the interplay between mainstream and far-right actors, the role of state institutions, and the dynamics of democratic defense amidst rising illiberal challenges in Europe. The individual contributions uncover the complex interplay between accommodation, opposition and rhetorical positioning in various countries and across various political arenas – parliamentary settings, public opinion, and the digital realm. Employing both quantitative and qualitative methods, the papers examine how mainstream actors navigate, resist, and occasionally accommodate illiberal trends within evolving political landscapes and in moments of acute political crisis. Together, these contributions provide a comprehensive exploration of the pressures confronting liberal democracy in Europe, from party system dynamics to state responses and public discourse. By bridging the fields of party research, public opinion, and political communication, this panel advances our understanding of how mainstream actors can resist the tide of illiberalism while grappling with their own vulnerabilities to radicalization. It seeks to foster a deeper dialogue on the future of liberal democratic governance and the strategies necessary to safeguard its core principles in an era of profound political transformation.

Title	Details
An Online Cordon Sanitaire? Parties’ Interactions with the Far-Right During the 2024 EP Electoral Campaign	View Paper Details
The Radicalized Mainstream? The Impact of the Far Right on Mainstream Parties’ Support for liberal democracy	View Paper Details
Mainstream Radicalization into Illiberalism: Evidence from the Dutch and Romanian Center-Right.	View Paper Details
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