Responses to the Far-Right in Europe and Latin America: A Comparative Assessment

The far right has experienced significant global growth in recent decades. Initially seen as a predominantly European phenomenon, far-right forces have gained traction worldwide, including in regions traditionally considered resistant to such ideologies. Latin America, long considered an exception to this trend, has witnessed the emergence and consolidation of far-right forces in countries such as Argentina, Brazil and El Salvador. This global expansion has raised significant concerns among scholars and activists about the normalisation and mainstreaming of far-right ideologies, which now play a central role in political discourse and public debate. Despite the growing body of research on the far right, much of the existing literature remains limited in scope. It primarily focuses on (i) studies centered on Western and, more recently, Central and Eastern Europe and (ii) analyses of the causes and consequences of far-right extremism on democratic political systems. As a result, little is known about the effectiveness of strategies to counter the far right, especially in a comparative perspective across different contexts. This manuscript addresses these gaps by identifying common patterns in far-right narratives across Europe and Latin America and assessing the effectiveness of strategies employed to counter their rise. Specifically, it examines three main approaches: demarcation (isolating far-right forces from mainstream politics), confrontation (active opposition through institutional and grassroots means), and accommodation (adopting elements of far-right rhetoric or policies to neutralise their appeal). By analysing these strategies, the paper highlights their successes, limitations and contextual dependencies. For instance, while demarcation has shown resilience in some European contexts, it has proven less effective in Latin America, where institutional weaknesses and political fragmentation complicate its implementation. This manuscript contributes to the broader academic debate on far-right politics through a cross-regional comparative perspective. It aims to develop a framework for understanding the conditions under which specific counter-strategies succeed or fail, providing insights for policymakers and scholars seeking to address the global rise of the far right.