Tena Prelec: The far-right is not the cause, but a consequence of Europe's political crisis

The increasing prominence of the far-right in Europe, particularly in France and Germany, is not the root cause of political instability but rather a symptom of deeper crises, according to Dr. Tena Prelec.

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The term 'far-right' is often used quite broadly, although it is an umbrella term, not a unified ideology. On one hand, we have the populist radical right that participates in democratic elections, while on the other hand, there are more extreme parts of the right that reject democracy itself. Therefore, it is simplistic to say that the far-right is growing in Europe. Such an assessment ignores the broader political context.

Prelec, an assistant professor at the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Rijeka, explained in the program "Svijet plus" that the term "far-right" is often used too broadly. She distinguishes between populist radical right-wing parties participating in democratic elections and more extreme factions that reject democracy itself. She argues that a simplistic view of a growing far-right trend ignores the broader political context.

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It is necessary to talk about the disintegration of traditional party systems and the crisis of political representation, which largely explain the strengthening of these political options.

"The disintegration of traditional party systems and the crisis of political representation largely explain the strengthening of these political options," Prelec stated. She highlighted common characteristics among parties often labeled as far-right, including nativism, authoritarian views on social order, and a pronounced distrust of liberal institutions, even though foreign policy stances can vary.

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It is important to emphasize that parties most often classified as far-right share certain common characteristics. Although there are differences among them, especially in foreign policy positions, nativism, or nativist politics of belonging, a more authoritarian understanding of social order, and pronounced distrust of liberal institutions are common.

Prelec pointed to the long-term crisis of left-wing parties, which have struggled for decades to represent their traditional base, particularly working-class citizens. As left-leaning parties increasingly focused on value and identity issues, economic and social concerns took a backseat. This left a significant portion of their electorate feeling unrepresented, leading some to turn to populist and, in some cases, far-right parties.

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If we start from the left, it has been in crisis for a long time. For several decades, parties of the center-left and the left have no longer been able to represent a segment of voters who traditionally formed their base, especially citizens from the poorer and working strata of society. Many of them no longer feel that their problems, fears, and interests are truly represented by anyone.