The Radical Right in Eastern Europe

1. Front Matter

   Pages i-xx

   PDF

2. Introduction

   • Michael Minkenberg

   Pages 1-8

3. Concepts: Analyzing the East European Radical Right

   • Michael Minkenberg

   Pages 9-33

4. Contexts: Legacies and the Transformation Process

   • Michael Minkenberg

   Pages 35-65

5. Contents: Organizational Patterns and Ideological Profiles

   • Michael Minkenberg

   Pages 67-97

6. Configurations: Mobilization and Performance

   • Michael Minkenberg

   Pages 99-119

7. Consequences: Interaction and Impact

   • Michael Minkenberg

   Pages 121-142

8. Conclusions

   • Michael Minkenberg

   Pages 143-149

9. Back Matter

   Pages 151-194

   PDF

This book is a comparative analysis of the post-communist East European radical right, both in party and non-party formation, using the West European radical right as a baseline. Minkenberg offers insights into the political field of the radical right since the onset of democracy in the region and elicits region-wide and country-specific characteristics. The book argues that due to the nature of the transition process from Soviet hegemony to national independence and from communist to democratic societies, and the unfinished process of nation-building in the region, the radical right in Eastern Europe is a phenomenon sui generis, both organizationally more fluid and ideologically more extreme than the Western counterpart. The issues covered include trends in party system and electoral developments, patterns of movement mobilization and racist activism, and the impact of the radical right on their countries’ politics and policies.  

• Radical Right
• European Politics
• Eastern Europe
• nation-building
• comparative political sociology
• Democracy
• european union politics

   “This is the ultimate Minkenberg, condensing two decades of cutting-edge research into one highly readable short book. Must read for all, academic and non-academic, interested in the radical right in Central and Eastern Europe.” (Cas Mudde, Associate Professor, International Affairs, University of Georgia, USA)

“In this remarkable short book, Michael Minkenberg presents an important new analysis of the radical right in Eastern Europe… He demonstrates the fragility of democracy in Eastern Europe, as well as the durability of nationalist issues that link the past to the present… Moreover, this analysis helps us to understand more about the powerful hostility that greeted the recent wave of refugees in Eastern Europe during the past two years, in a region where few immigrants had settled before.” (Martin Schain, Professor Emeritus, Politics, New York University, USA)

• Frankfurt/Oder, Germany

  Michael Minkenberg

Michael Minkenberg is Professor of Political Science at European University Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder), Germany. He had previously held the Max Weber Chair for German and European Studies at New York University, USA. His research interests include the radical right in liberal democracies and the relationship between religion and politics in Western societies.

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