A Current Threat to European Democracy: The Rise of Populist Right

Abstract

In the recent years, populist radical right parties have shown an incredible rise in Europe. These parties that combine populism, nativism and authoritarianism in their programs by following anti-globalization, anti-EU, anti-immigrant, anti-refugee and anti-Islamist discourses and policies receive the support of the electorate who are worried about losing their economic independence and cultural identity. Due to their exclusionary discourse and policies these parties have been threatening the established democracies of Europe in the tenets of civil liberties, political rights and political plurality, and therefore they erode the basic principles and institutions of liberal democracy. This study analyzes these threats through the case studies of Austria, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy and France.

Keywords

• Populist radical right,liberal democracy,Western Europe

AVRUPA DEMOKRASİSİNE YÖNELİK GÜNCEL BİR TEHDİT: POPÜLİST RADİKAL SAĞIN YÜKSELİŞİ

Öz

Son yıllarda popülist radikal sağ partiler Avrupa’da hızlı bir yükseliş içerisindedir. Popülizm, yerlicilik ve otoriterliği birleştiren bu partiler küreselleşme, Avrupa Birliği (AB), göçmen, mülteci ve İslam karşıtı söylem ve politikaları ile özellikle ekonomik bağımsızlıklarını ve kültürel kimliklerini kaybetme endişesi taşıyan seçmenlerin desteğini almaktadırlar. Dışlayıcı söylem ve politikaları ile söz konusu partiler Batı Avrupa’nın yerleşik demokrasilerini özellikle kişisel özgürlükler, siyasi haklar ve siyasal çoğulculuk temelinde tehdit ederek, liberal demokrasinin temel ilke ve kurumlarında aşındırıcı etkilere sebep olmaktadırlar. Bu çalışma söz konusu tehditleri Avusturya, Almanya, Hollanda, İtalya ve Fransa örnekleri çerçevesinde incelemektedir.

Anahtar Kelimeler

• Popülist radikal sağ,liberal demokrasi,Batı Avrupa

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