The rise of the ultra-right and neo-fascism in Europe in the 21st century

Abstract

With the capitulation of Germany and its allies in World War II, the classical manifestations of fascism seemed to have been defeated. However, the reality indicates that this ideology has been reconfiguring itself into an alternative phenomenon, although with the same essence at the core of its conception: neo-fascism. As a result, contemporary societies have witnessed in recent decades the rise of the extreme right and the rise of conservative and violent discourses.Based on this context, the present research investigates the trends of the extreme right-wing fascist movement in Europe in the 21st century. At the same time, it includes a review not only of political forces and parties, but also of the main factors that have determined its political-electoral advance. To achieve this, it is based on the study of the German case, from the point of view of two of its parties: the German National Democratic Party (NPD) and Alternative for Germany (AfD). Finally, the following elements emerge as having a major impact on the rise of these neo-fascist projects: the reconfiguration of their political discourses, the presence of Euroscepticism in European society, and the behavior of traditional parties in the face of the 2008-2009 global economic crisis and the migration crisis of 2015-2016