The recent European elections have brought to light the preferences of many European citizens for parties that many of us would call far-right, placing them in first position.
- In France, Le Rassemblement National obtained 31.37% of votes.
- In Italy, the party of Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, Fratelli d’Italia, boasts 28.9%.
- In Austria, the Freiheitliche Partei Österreichs also received over 25% of votes.
- In neighboring Germany, even though the majority voted for CDU/CSU, they still showed preference for the visibility of the far-right party AfD, securing it 15.89% of votes, and thus second place.
- Viktor Orbán remains a favorite in Hungary.
- In Belgium, 14.5% of votes go to Vlaams Belang.
The presence of the far-right evokes unease, fear, and revolt for many of us, especially because historically, it is often associated with Nazism, Mussolini's Italy, Franco's Spain, which automatically translates into war, genocide, oppression and xenophobia.
However, we must not overlook the danger of the far-left, which, although differing from the far-right in its goals, was known to employ similar methods such as coercion, political persecution, suppression of opposition, and aggressive expansionist policies to fuel its ideological zeal.
The contemporary political discourse is being redefined, especially in the public sphere. Supporters of the party in question avoid labeling their own party as extremist, as their beliefs regarding justice and the fairness promoted by the party could clash with evidence of extremism.
The association of extremism with ideological rigidity conveys a negative image because it impedes progress, innovation, and societal well-being. This threatens both the party's identity and that of its followers.
On the other hand, the perception that the opponent is extremist is amplified in order to propagate the irrationality of their thinking and the conviction that the opponent encourages intolerance, justifies violence, and fosters societal polarization.
How can we determine if a party is truly leaning towards extremism?
A characteristic of political fanaticism is what American thinker Eric Hoffer called the "true believer," who adopts a "us versus them" mentality, showing intolerance towards the opinions of others.
The intolerant are drawn to simplistic solutions to complex problems and situations, resisting moderation and compromise.
It is important to observe a party's rhetoric if it aims to construct an 'enemy' that must be fought against, even at the risk of dehumanizing them. George Orwell's work, 1984, is relevant in this regard.
Extremism is also defined by ideological rigidity. Hannah Arendt spoke of a closed system of thinking that does not adapt to the complexity of reality, everyday life. Reality becomes distorted, shaped by the ideological narrative, lies, exaggerations, and manipulations.
We can measure a party's extremism by questioning how flexible its ideology is, whether it has changed over time.
For example, can a party be accused of xenophobia if it advocates strict control over immigration, motivated by economic stability and integration into society? Is it easier for opponents to label this policy as evidence of fear of foreigners?
Progressive taxation can always be labeled as discouraging productivity, meritocracy, and economic competitiveness? Or is it beneficial in the sense that it can fund the healthcare system, education, and reduce poverty?
Violence or coercion should not be overlooked when evaluating a party's extremism. Regardless of where the extremist party is situated on the political spectrum, its supporters encourage the use of intimidation tactics, vandalism, and harassment campaigns against opponents.
If the targets of the far-right are usually immigrants (illegal), the far-left directs their aggression towards state institutions, government, and economic elites. Their actions often lead to the destruction of symbols of capitalism, clashes with law enforcement, which leftist extremist groups often perceive as threatening.
However, there are degrees of violence. Not all parties considered extremist display the same level of violence, with some being much more violent than others.
The level of violence remains a decisive factor in determining how extremist a party actually is.
Hannah Arendt stated that thoughts are not dangerous, but thinking itself is. For extremists, critical discussions, self-reflection, doubt are threatening, not intolerance towards others, dogmatism, violence, or the rejection of democratic values.
For all those who truly distance themselves from extremist policies, the opposite is true.
The French version of this article appeared yesterday in the Belgian newspaper La Libre Belgique.