The transnationalization of the extreme right and the use of the Internet

Abstract

Like many other political actors, the extreme right is currently expanding beyond national borders, and, as with any civil society organization, the Internet is assuming a growing role in achieving this goal. To date, however, this topic is understudied. In this article, aiming to empirically filling this gap, we shall explore the new tactics of the extreme right in Europe and the USA in the context of transnational politics. Namely, we investigate the degree and forms of extreme right transnationalization (in terms of mobilization, issues, targets, action strategies, and organizational contacts) and the potential role of the Internet in these developments. The analysis combines qualitative and quantitative data derived from 54 interviews with representatives of extreme right organizations in six European countries (Austria, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, and Spain) and the USA with a formalized Web content analysis of 336 right-wing websites. We will compare different types of right-wing groups which compose the radical right family (from political parties to associations), underlining the main differences and similarities across groups and across countries.

Right-Wing Populist Discourse on Chinese Social Media: Identity, Otherness, and Global Imaginaries

“…The immediate context in which Chinese internet users began to pick up the vocabulary of the populist right was the European refugee crisis and the US presidential election of 2016, which on the one hand prompted netizens to familiarize themselves with the anti-refugee and anti-liberal rhetoric of Western conservatives, and on the other hand were seen as epitomes of the inevitable decline of Western democracy. The internet plays a significant role in the 'globalisation of extremist discourse' (Baumgarten, 2017) and the transnationalisation of right-wing populist mobilisations (Caiani and Kröll, 2015). If the attention to the refugee crisis on Chinese social media was centred on anti-immigration, Islamophobic, and racist framings, then the subsequent discussions on the American election revolved more around criticisms of postmaterialist values and the disdain for 'political correctness'.…”

Høyreklikk! En analyse av ytre høyrepå sosiale medier i Norge

“…Her er hovedpoenget at internett spiller en avgjørende rolle i (u)sosiale bevegelsers mobiliseringsprosesser. Det handler blant annet om utviklingen av kollektive identiteter, virtuelle debattsamfunn og solidaritet på tvers av (potensielt store) geografiske avstander, samt reduserte kostnader knyttet til koordinering av handlinger, både nasjonalt og transnasjonalt (se Caiani & Parenti 2009;Caiani & Kröll 2015). Internett kan i denne sammenheng betraktes som en «free space» (Polletta 1999), hvor ytre høyre kan møtes, utveksle ideer og koordinere aktiviteter uten å bli hindret av myndigheter eller politiske motstandere.…”

Far‐Right Framing Processes on Social Media: The Case of the Canadian and Quebec Chapters of Soldiers of Odin

“…Third, studies demonstrate that far‐right groups rely increasingly on the Internet for their activities (Berger and Strathearn 2013; Caiani and Kröll 2015:332; Caiani and Wagemann 2009). Most of these studies, however, focus on far‐right groups’ use of online platforms such as Web sites, blogs, and forums (Burris, Smith, and Strahm 2000; Perry and Olsson 2009; Zhou et al.…”