Right-wing populism is becoming increasingly popular in Western Europe, this is also evident when looking at the Netherlands. Geert Wilders, party leader of the Partij Voor de Vrijheid (PVV), has...Show moreRight-wing populism is becoming increasingly popular in Western Europe, this is also evident when looking at the Netherlands. Geert Wilders, party leader of the Partij Voor de Vrijheid (PVV), has been the face of right-wing populism in the Netherlands for a long time, however, it seems that he has now been replaced by Thierry Baudet. Baudet is the party leader of the Forum voor Democratie (FvD), the two-year-old party has managed to win the provincial elections back in March of this year. With the rise of right-wing populist rhetoric, also the exclusion of people has become prominent. This thesis aims to research and analyse how the rhetoric of contemporary right-wing parties contributes to discrimination and xenophobia in the Netherlands.Show less
Populism is a current political phenomenon in Europe. During the last ten years, the number of immigrants in Europe has intensified. Far-right populist political parties propose anti-immigration,...Show morePopulism is a current political phenomenon in Europe. During the last ten years, the number of immigrants in Europe has intensified. Far-right populist political parties propose anti-immigration, suggest xenophobic sentiments and take advantage of this significant European issue to gain popularity. By using a cultural and political perspective, this thesis has considered two case studies: Italy and Poland, which show to have high levels of xenophobia. The paper aimed at showing how Italian and Polish populists governing parties use a strategic reference to the constructed national identity and anti-EU rhetoric to instigate fear and xenophobia.Show less
This paper aims to compare the effects of economic slumps on the electoral gains of European radical far-right populist parties by comparing the impact of the Great Depression on the rise of the...Show moreThis paper aims to compare the effects of economic slumps on the electoral gains of European radical far-right populist parties by comparing the impact of the Great Depression on the rise of the Nazis in Germany and the impact of the Great Recession on the contemporary electoral gains of far-right parties, such as the Front Nacional in France. Parallels are drawn between the xenophobic ideologies of both types of party, the views these parties had regarding the existing European political structures and dynamics, and their shared use of populism as a pragmatic political tool. All in all, it is found that, even though both phenomena share inherent similarities, due to the fact that the Great Recession was not as “bad” as the Great Depression and that contemporary Europeans remain skeptical of far-right parties, the great difference remains the discrepancy in scale between the two series of events, which is reflected in exactly how much ground both types of far-right parties gained during their respective time periods.Show less
