Europe at the Crossroads

Overview

The far right is on the rise. And there are signs that part of the political mainstream in Europe, the US, and beyond is considering accommodating far-right populist parties and their divisive, ethno-nationalist programmes.Europe at the Crossroads is an urgent scholarly response to the sociopolitical challenges that far-right programmes pose to the idea of a more egalitarian world. It offers an interdisciplinary analysis and critique of the dynamics of the far right in Europe – from Poland to the UK, from Sweden to Greece. The authors present pertinent alternatives when tackling the exclusionary rhetoric and the politics of resentment.Each contributor investigates the current advance of far right populism and the threat to liberal democracy. Their texts address the historical roots and activities of the ideologies behind Orbanism or Brexit for example. The slogan ‘Fortress Europe’ – once a pejorative term – now appeals to large numbers of voters. The authors analyst the power balance in the European Parliament, particularly in connection with the elections in the spring 2019.

Author Biography

Pieter Bevelander is Professor of International Migration and Ethnic Relations (IMER) and Director of the Malmö Institute for Studies of Migration, Diversity and Welfare (MIM) at Malmö University, Sweden. His main research field is international migration and different aspects of immigrant integration as well the reactions of natives towards immigrants and minorities. His latest research contains the socioeconomic and political integration and impacts of immigrants/refugees and minorities in host societies and the attitudes of the native population on these groups. Ruth Wodak is Emerita Distinguished Professor of Discourse Studies at Lancaster University, UK, and affiliated to the University of Vienna. Besides various other prizes, she was awarded the Wittgenstein Prize for Elite Researchers in 1996 and an Honorary Doctorate from University of Örebro in Sweden in 2010. 2011, she was awarded the Grand Decoration of Honour in Silver for Services to the Republic of Austria, and 2018, the Lebenswerk Preis for her lifetime achievements, from the Austrian Ministry for Women’s Affairs. She is member of the British Academy of Social Sciences and member of the Academia Europaea. 2008, she was awarded the Kerstin Hesselgren Chair of the Swedish Parliament (at University Örebrö). Apart from many international guest professorships, she held the Willi Brandt Chair 2017 at the University of Malmö, Sweden. 2018/19, she was a senior visiting fellow at the Institute for Human Sciences, Vienna (IWM). Her research interests focus on identity politics and politics of the past; communication in organizations; political communication; populism; and racism and discrimination. Ruth has published 10 monographs, 27 co-authored monographs, over 60 edited volumes and ca 400 peer reviewed journal papers and book chapters.