Understanding Enemy Images in Central and Eastern European Politics

Abstract

In recent years, Europe has experienced a rise in politics based on antagonism, often discussed from the perspectives of populism and the mainstreaming of the ideologies of the radical right. In this study, we argue that there is a need for an interdisciplinary, theoretically broader and more empirically focused approach that fosters understanding of these developments. To explore the causal factors, we focus on the enemy images that are constructed and diffused by politicians, and their specific historical and structural contexts. The paper thus has two main components: First, we review what political theory, research on populism and on the extreme right and social psychology say about the functions of the use and development of enemy images. Second, we highlight the contextual factors that we consider make the success of a politics based on enemy images more likely in Central and Eastern Europe.

Emotional Communication and Participation in Politics

“…Negativity seems to be deeply rooted in populism's conflictual logic 'in which there are only friends and foes' (Mudde, 2004: 544): emotions plays key role in increasing outgroup hostility which has been manifest in various discursive forms (e.g. anti-Semitism, anti-Romani sentiments, homophobic notions, xenophobia, see Gerő et al, 2017). Radical right-wing populist politicians are frequently criticized for using aggressive, offensive, and anxiety-fuelled rhetoric to gain media attention and electoral success.…”

Attitude Changes towards Immigrants in the Turbulent Years of the 'Migrant Crisis' and Anti-Immigrant Campaign in Hungary

“…It is also important to note that xenophobia was already strong before the campaign started, which made the anti-immigrant propaganda even more successful (Barna, 2019). Some authors have focused on another aspect of hostility: the utilization of enemy images (Gerő et al, 2017) and scapegoats (Kovarek et al, 2017) used by mainstream and far-right Hungarian politics. Csepeli and Örkény (2017) argued that the overall hostility present in society is embedded in a moral crisis.…”

Followers, Challengers, or By-Standers?

“…On the one hand, China has become symbol of a dream of economic opportunity and material prosperity, bringing about solutions to the economic struggling. For some, on the other hand, China may even fit the patterns of the 'enemy image' (Gerő et al, 2017) as the surviving Communist authoritarian country standing for the values which were set aside by the revolutions in Central Europe in 1989. The share of the articles with negative sentiment in the Czech Republic is indeed almost at the level of those with a neutral one, pointing towards very sceptical Czech media attitudes to China, which can be seen as challenging the government's (and the president's) attempts to warm up relations with China.…”