Dynamics of Neo-Fascist Protest in Italy in Times of Crisis

Despite widespread public attention to the risks of right-wing extremism on the eve of the European Parliament elections, very little is known about the dynamics of extreme right protest at the times of the economic crisis. By mapping the repertoires of action of Italian neo-Fascist movements and parties over the last 10 years, this paper investigates how the economic crisis has changed their mobilization strategies. To what extent have protest actions radicalized since the beginning of the crisis in 2008? What is the role of the economic crisis in the public discourse of the extreme right in Italy? With the aim of filling the gap in academic research on the social movement activism of the extreme right, this paper disentangles the conceptualization of the crisis in extreme right discourse and investigates the use of violent repertoires by CasaPound, Forza Nuova, Fiamma Tricolore and La Destra.