Michael Minkenberg Book order

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.

"Transforming the Transformation?" explores the role of radical right parties in the political processes of new democracies in Eastern Europe. It provides a cross-national comparison and in-depth analysis, making it valuable for students and scholars interested in European politics and far-right movements.

The transformation process in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) post-1989 is often framed through historical and geographical lenses, described as a 'return of history' or a 'return to Europe.' The radical right plays a significant role in this narrative. Research highlights concerns regarding historical analogies and legacies, drawing parallels between the post-1989 radical right and interwar fascism, suggesting a 'Weimarization' of these countries and a resurgence of ultranationalist or fascist ideologies. Another perspective notes that as CEE party systems increasingly mirror those of Western Europe, the radical right also aligns with this trend, particularly where it finds electoral success. A third viewpoint posits that the radical right in CEE is uniquely shaped by the historical influences of state socialism and the transformation process, resulting in a more extreme and anti-democratic ideology compared to Western counterparts, and functioning more as a movement than a traditional party. This work explores how historical forces shape the contemporary radical right in CEE, conceptualizing 'legacies' as both contextual factors influencing new movements and as ideological remnants from the past that the radical right seeks to revive and reinterpret. An introductory essay by Michael Minkenberg situates the discussion within a broader research framework, while various contributions examine legacies from both contextual and t

European challenges call for European responses. The spread of extremist and xenophobic attitudes and the proliferation of right-wing political movements are challenges confronting all of Europe. This book provides a conceptual framework for comparing right-wing radicalism in Europe and offers country-specific data on the right-wing radicalism and extremism. It constitutes a solid base of knowledge on the current situation in ten European countries (Austria, Belgium, Denmark, France, Hungary, Italy, The Netherlands, Sweden, Switzerland and the United Kingdom). Key topics include the success stories of right-wing radical political parties, the strength of their movements, the existence of sub-cultural milieus of the radical right and of corresponding factors that influence the rise of the radical right in Europe.

The six local studies in this volume were part of a summer institute at Europa Universität Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) in July 2003 which, under the umbrella of the TIRES project (Transnationalism, International migration, Race, Ethnocentrism, and the State), brought together students and teachers from eight participating universities. TIRES is a transatlantic consortium, funded by the European Commission in Bruxelles and the Department of Education in Washington, DC, and consisting of a network of researchers and institutions from, in the United States, Florida International University in Miami (the US lead university), New York University, the University of Colorado in Boulder and the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis and, in Europe, Europa-Universität Viadrina in Frankfurt (Oder) (the EU lead university), Sciences Po Paris, the University of Amsterdam, and the University of Liège.